The Dead Declassified
by Avila Naislin
Summary: New York is ranked one of the most dangerous cities in America. And I know it's not because of the crime or the gangs, it's because of my boyfriend, Jack. See... he's sort of a Vampire.
1. Blackout

The club Pleasures is in an old two-story warehouse known for its amazing selection in liquor

**A/N: Here's the first chapter (obviously). It's more of a prologue than anything else. Hope you enjoy.**

**.**

**.**

The club _Pleasures_ is in an old two-story warehouse known for its amazing selection in liquor. In fact that's all it's really known for. In comparison to all the other glamorous clubs in New York, _Pleasures_ has little to offer. The second floor - made into a long balcony - overlooks the dance floor that only had a few people drunkenly dancing on it. The long bar with a million different drinks behind it stood in the back of the club, where the rest of the people sat.

And I'm the idiot behind the counter serving them.

Yes, I work here. It's a funny story how I became a bar tender but one I won't go into. All that matters is I'm stuck in a warehouse filled with drunk men slobbering on my bar.

"Hey! Mr.! Another Mojito!"

I turn to the man who yelled the order and cross my arms.

"For the last time I'm a woman. _WOMAN! _I don't even _look_ manly, for God sakes! If you can't get that right, I'm not making you your stupid '_mojito'_."

"Did I ask for a lecture? Where's my damn drink!"

I squint my eyes and quietly imagine how satisfying it would be to strangle him. He glares back, and mouths the word, "MOJITO".

I purse my lips and march to the large shelves of liquor behind me, and begin grabbing the bottles for a mojito. My fat co-worker Tim walks over to me from the other side of the bar and leans against the counter with a heavy sigh.

"Another busy night."

I roll my eyes, and slide the mojito to the man. "Hardly,"

Tim smiles and stands straight, before patting me on the shoulder. "What do you say to closing early tonight?"

I look over to him and grin. "That would be amazing."

He nods, and walks away. Tim was fat, but in a happy Santa Clause way - if Santa was a biker. Tim had rosy cheeks, but a thick scraggily black beard; he had a jolly laugh, but when he smiled he showed his crooked yellowed teeth. He stood at a tall 6'4", but he was probably the nicest biker you could meet. I've always imagined his as a Santa gone wrong.

The door to the club opens to a scruffy man in a trench coat, because apparently he enjoyed looking sketchy. He stumbles in and takes a seat at the end of the bar. Unlike all the other drunkards who come in, this man didn't bother ordering a drink as soon he came in, or try to get my attention. He simply sat down with a heavy sigh, and hung his head.

I slowly walk over, drying my hands on the black apron tied around my waste and say, "I'm sorry sir, we're closing."

He doesn't reply but reaches into his coat and pulls out a paper bill and slides it across the counter. I look down to see it's a 50. My eyes widen hungrily as I take up the bill, and ask, "What can I get you."

"Gin and tonic." He says. "Keep the change."

His voice is raspy and low, like he had been yelling a lot, or was a chain smoker. Either scenario worked. I pocket the bill happily and quickly make his drink and slide it over to him.

I turn to begin cleaning up when the man begins to speak.

"It's a dangerous place out there."

It's a story I've heard a million times – all about tax evasion, or ex-wives – but despite myself I'm lured to the man. His voice, with all its gruffness, had a way to make me feel like a child that was about to hear an exciting story.

"They hunt without sympathy, without any regard to what they're doing. It will be the death of us all."

"The police?" I ask stupidly.

A crocked smile spreads across the man's face briefly, before he drank his gin and tonic. "There are things that are more dangerous than the police."

I rack my brain for something worse than the police, and blurt out the first thing that pops up.

"A gang?" I suggest.

Again he smiles briefly. "You're creativity is clearly vivid."

I frown at his blatant sarcasm and loose interest in what ever it is he was getting at. I had better thing to do than to be insulted by someone who'd obviously visited other bars before this one. I turn away but a tight grip clamps around my forearm. I try to wrench away my arm from the man's tight grip but he just held tighter.

"Sir, let go." I snap.

"They look just like us. You've probably seen one and never known! You must be wary. Constant vigilance!"

I pull my arm away and march to the other end of the counter where Tim is standing and quickly say, "Now, I think, would be a _great_ time to close."

.

.

I stack the last of the chairs onto a table, and sigh happily. Done. I check my watch excited to see it is only 1 a.m. Not too late, considering the job I'm in. I hurry down stairs to find Tim finishing up his section.

"All good upstairs?" he asks.

I nod happily. We head to the back room, where we store the supplies and have our breaks, to the back where the employee entrance is. Tim pulls out the keys and opens it for me. I walk out into the cool night breathing the sweet air deeply. Tim shuts the door behind us, and locks it up.

"Have a good night, Andrea." Tim says, as he heads south.

"Same to you."

I slip on my thin pea coat and head north into the semi-crowded street. The streets are always busy, no matter what time it is. That's what amazes me about New York. It could 5 in the morning and there is traffic. I quickly walk through the light foot traffic, heading toward the closest subway entrance that will take me home.

As I weave along someone bumps into me with such force it knocks me over. A hand snatches my arm and pulls me back onto my feet just before I smack into the cement. Before I can react to anything I'm back on my feet. I gawk like an idiot as I stare into a face just as stunned as mine. The man who had saved me was gripping my arms tightly, but his grey eyes were wide and dumbfounded. He quickly composes himself and lets go of me, though he seems to do it reluctantly.

"Sorry about that," he says.

"It's fine. Thanks for catching me."

I give a quick smile and hurry pass him to the subway entrance a few feet away, trying to figure out what just happened.

I hurry down to the north trains that will take me to my apartment. To my relief there's still a good number of people heading home, most of which didn't seem to fall into the categories of mobster, serial killer, hit man, prostitute, hobo, or child molester.

The train pulls in, and screeches to a halt. The iron doors squeal open, letting everyone pile in. I take a compartment that isn't as full, not feeling the urge to be near people. The train finally lurches back into motion, sending us into the dark tunnels. I lean against the pole I am holding, trying to force my eyelids not to droop. The train starts slowing as it reaches the next station, the doors creaking open for a few people to walk in and find seats. As the train lurches back into motion, I start looking at the other people in the compartment to keep myself awake.

There is an older black woman with wild grey hair she tried to maintain with a flowered handkerchief. She was wide, with large bosoms that she was currently using as a pillow. Near her is a group of young teens that are huddled together around a magazine and giggling profusely. Sitting near them is a middle-aged man who's eyeing the teens with annoyance. He has large horn rimmed glasses that are jiggling from the train's vibrations.

As I turn my head I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the dark train window. My slender body is covered in my work outfit – a green tee that says _Pleasures_ and jeans. My golden hair that normally sweeps to the middle of my back is tied up in a high ponytail. The only thing unique to my face are my peridot eyes, noticeable even in the dark reflection.

I look away from the window to the last person in the cabin. To my surprise it is the same guy who I collided with on the street. He was looking in the other direction, allowing me to stare without having to be discreet.

He was nothing short of gorgeous: tall, lanky with black untidy hair. He was dressed in all black, but in a classy sort of way, like he's heading for an important occasion. A small smirk spreads across his lips as his eyes flicker toward me. It happened so quickly I wasn't sure he even looked at me, but I look away anyways. As the train begins to slow he lifts his head and stares directly at me without blinking. I try to ignore him but it was difficult. Even from a side-glance his beauty was noticeable.

When the train stops he stands up and winks at me as he passes through the doors. I stand rigidly, gripping the pole so tightly my knuckles are white before realizing this is my stop and running out of the cabin seconds before the doors snap shut.

The platform is empty of anyone else. The mystery man had disappeared in those few seconds. I sigh and head up the stairs to the cool street above, ready to soak in a bubble bath and curl up with a good book. My apartment is a block away on the other side of the street. I quickly skip across the street, having to dodge a Mazda 6 that was going _way_ too fast (not forgetting to yell several profanities at it), to by apartment building. I walk in to see night staff at the main counter. The man smiles at me as I wave quickly, before heading to the winding stairs to the third floor.

I fumble for my keys as I reach the platform for the third floor. I pull them out and look up to stop in mid step. My floor was in complete darkness, except for two weak florescent lights at the other end of the corridor. Shit…

I breathe in heavily and let it out slowly. Ok, no need to panic. I may be afraid of complete darkness, but I live here… no problem. Just calm down, Drea. It's not like there's a crazy ax-murdered waiting for me.

My stomach flips at the thought of a man in a hokey mask at the other end of the hall. Ok, wrong thing to think.

I take a deep breath and begin to walk quickly down the hall, trying to keep my hysteria in check. As I near the first flickering light a chill crawls up my spine. I glance over my shoulder as I pass under the small halo of light and immediately regret it. At the end of the hall where I'd been a minute before stood the man I'd run into, his grey eyes illuminated in the darkness. He was standing rigidly, his hands in his pockets, his eyes locked onto me. He began to walk forward with large strides, his eyes fixed on me.

I stumble backwards in horror as my shoes snag on the carpet. His pace grew faster while a cruel smirk began spread across his lips. There was something unnatural about him. His movement was too fluid, his eyes too bright.

I begin to half run to my door just a few feet away, desperate to get into my apartment. I frantically try to shove my key into the lock but my hands are trembling so badly I can't get it in. I look over my shoulder to see him just a few yards away. I whirl back to the door and jam the key in and turn it. I turn the door handle and glance back but he is gone. He'd completely disappeared. Goosebumps were spreading all over my body, while the hairs of the back of my necks prickled as the image of him holding an ax popped into my head.

I hesitated at my door, wanting to just run inside and bolt the door but also needing to know where he went. The seconds dragged by and my fear only spiked. I gripped the handle and turned it but the door wouldn't move.

My heart began to race as I saw a slender white hand next to mine pressed against the door to keep it from opening. I slowly look up to see a white face smiling back at me, his face inches from mine.

I gasp and drop my bag hoping that's all he wants. But his smirk just gets larger, making my hysteria boil over. I fumble with the door handle trying to open it but the man kept his hand there. The door didn't budge.

I try backing away but his other arm quickly boxes me in against the door. As he starts to lean closer I do the only think I can think of. My hand flies up, but just as quickly his hand grips my wrist just before it would have hit his nose. His smile widens. He shook his head and made a tisk-tisk noise.

"Now why did you try to do that?" He whispers, his voice sultry and melodic.

His other hand grasps my free hand to prevent me from any kind of escape. Though he hardly needed to, my legs were frozen from fear, and if my heart beating so hard wasn't about to kill me, he sure was.

He leans into the nape of my neck and inhales deeply. My heart only beats faster as the idea of a psycho killer adds to my fear. He pulls away from my neck to look into my eyes, our faces just inches away. If I wasn't so scared his eyes might have mesmerized me. They weren't grey like I had thought, but a brilliant bright blue flecked with white. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped and whirled to our left just as my neighbor's door opened.

He took a large step backward, winked, then disappeared into the darkness. It took me three seconds to be in my apartment with all four locks bolted on the door. My heart felt like it was about to explode out of my chest. I leaned against my door and slowly slid onto the floor, tears streaming down my face. It was several minutes before I could feel my legs again, and my heart to beat at a normal pace.

I took a deep breath and pushed myself off the floor, double-checking the door was locked, before walking into me room and falling onto my bed.

.

.

The next morning made the previous night seem like nothing but an awful nightmare. In fact, I seriously wondered if it was nothing but just that. I take a quick shower and get dressed, checking my watch to see it's just ten in the morning. I walk to my front door, unbolt it, and lean out to grab the newspaper.

"Miss! Miss!"

To my horror I look up to see men in uniforms crowded in the narrow hallway. Police tape bordered my neighbor's doorframe. Two men in nice black suits walk briskly up to me, both with clipboards in their hands.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Did you know Frank Michaels, miss?"

"Yes, I do. I mean only because he's my neighbor. I've said hi to him a few times but-"

"Did you happen to talk to him, or see him recently?"

I thought of the night before, with the man at my door and Frank walking out and my heart plummets.

"I haven't," I lie. "Is he alright?"

"He's dead."

I try to keep my face composed as my heart stops beating. The men make some notes on their clipboards, study me carefully, then made a few more. One of them pulls out a police badge from inside his suit and waves it under my nose – like I didn't know already.

"You are Andreasme Ing-?" one asks.

"Yes, yes, that's me." I cut in, not really wanting him to say my full name.

They stare at me quizzically before saying, "Thank you for your time Ms. Carrow. If we have any other questions, we'll call."

I nod and close the door. As soon as its shut I bolt to my phone and speed dial Judy. The phone rings three times before I hear Judy's voice on the other line.

"Judy! What are you doing right now?" I half yell.

"Well I'm about to go-"

"How long until you have to go to work?"

"Uh… two hours. Why? Drea, what's wrong?"

"I'll explain everything. I'll meet you at the Coffee House in a half an hour, 'Kay?"

"Alright," Just says slowly.

I hang up before she asks anything else. I walk back to my door and peer out the peephole. Several men in uniforms were close to my door, inspecting the carpet, the doors, the ceiling.

.

I got to the Coffee House in ten minutes. My anxiety didn't feel like waiting around my apartment while the black suited men wandered on my floor questioning anyone who stepped out of their rooms.

Charlie's Coffee House is a small café a few minutes away from Jody and my apartments. As usual when I walk in there's a small line at the counter where people in business outfits are getting coffee to go. I wind myself through the surplus of squashy armchairs to an empty table near the back that faced the window.

Jody walks in a few minutes later, probably guessing I wouldn't have waited. She spots me in the back and weaves her way over to the chair opposite me. Jody is short but makes up for the size with crazy curly black hair. Everything about her is round, especially her face; her brown eyes are large and round, her lips pout, even her ears are perfectly circular. Today she seemed completely frazzled. Her wild, curly hair was flying everywhere, like she rolled out of bed and came straight here. Then I realized with a twinge of guilt, she probably had.

"Alright, what's wrong?" she sighed heavily, falling into a chair.

"You look awful, Jody. Do you want some coffee or-"

"No, Drea, just tell me what is wrong." Her eyes had large black circles under them, like she'd been awake for days. I opened my mouth to ask her but decided against it. I'll ask her later.

"Jody, last night this man followed me home." I started. She raised her eyebrows in surprise as I retold what happened. Jody didn't ask any questions as I talked, only keeping her eyebrows raised in concern.

"And this morning Frank was dead!" I finish. "Jody, I think that was supposed to be me."

Jody sighs and slumps back onto her chair. She closed her eyes and scrunched her forehead in thought.

"He didn't do anything to you?" she asked.

I shake my head. "He just smelled my hair. I'm telling you he was psycho!"

Jody nodded her head in agreement. "I don't know what to tell you Drea, except go buy some Pepper Spray."

"This is serious, Jod!"

"I know, I know. I really think you should have told the police." She checked her watch and sighed again. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I have to pick up some things for my boss before I go in today. But please, Andrea, _don't_ do anything rash, okay?"

"Fine, but-"

Jody stood up and shook her head. "You'll be safe at work. Just be careful tonight. Get a taxi, instead." She checked her watch again and frowned. "I'm sorry. Be safe, okay?"

She hurried out of the café, leaving me to think about what to do now. I definitely couldn't go back to my apartment. There were police crawling all over my floor, and that was the last thing I needed reminding of. I look at my watch. It's only 11:30. I still have an hour before work. There was only one thing I could do.

I stand up and hurry out of the café toward the nearest Outlet store. Time to buy some Pepper Spray.

.

.

**A/N: That's it. Please review so I know how you liked it. **


	2. It's Not Over

**A/N: I want to make a quick apology for the big mistake in the last chapter. In case of confusion I misspelled Jody as Judy. Her name is Jody, sorry about that. Anyways, thanks for reading.**

**.**

**.**

Work was possibly the most painful thing I'd ever experienced. I swear the clock was ticking backwards. Tim was blissfully unaware that I was borderline hysteric. I had to serve a man his drink three times because my hands were shaking so badly I spilled it on the floor before I could get it to him. By midnight I couldn't stand still. It was all I could do to not start screaming and run out of the club. Of course _out_ of the bar meant dealing with who might be out there, and that was the _last_ thing I wanted to do.

Much sooner than I'd like Tim was telling me it was time to close up and leave.

"We could stay open a little later," I suggest. "It's not that late."

Tim gives me a questionable look and shakes his head. "Andrea, it's 3 in the morning. We'd be loosing money if we stay open any later."

"You can take it out of my paycheck," I offer. But I knew it was hopeless.

And I was right. Tim pushes me out the back door and closes it behind us. The open night suddenly seemed like the most dangerous place to be in. I try to stand near Tim without being obvious, but that failed too.

"You need some sleep." He said. "Maybe you should take tomorrow off. It's a Wednesday, we're normally slow."

"Oh no! I'm coming in." There was no way I was spending anymore time alone in that apartment than I had to.

Tim shrugs and starts walking away. I quickly hurry into a brightly lightened street, and hail a taxi like Jody suggested. It was a quick 11.20 ride to my apartment, but at least I was safe. I shove the money at the driver and hurry into my building.

The night staff was there like always, sitting quietly at the desk reading a magazine. I pause at the stairs and remembering the dark hallway last night.

"Hello John," I say to the night staff.

He looks up and puts the magazine down. "Good evening Ms. Carrow, is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually, I was wondering if my hallway's lights have been fixed. They were all kind of… off, last night."

John smiled, making his wrinkled face double in lines. "Yes, I believe maintenance fixed that this morning after the… er… death."

"Oh, you heard about Frank?" My heart sank slightly at the reminder.

John nods. "I was questioned very thoroughly by the police. Apparently it had happened during my watch. But I don't remember any strangers, and there aren't any on the surveillance camera's."

"That is… odd," I chocked out the last word. This wasn't what I wanted to talk about but John seemed very interested in it. I couldn't imagine why. Maybe it was because he hadn't lived next to Frank.

"Well I have to go," I quickly say, hoping to end the topic. "Thanks again."

"You have a good night, Ms. Carrow."

I hurry up the stairs to my floor. John was right, the hall was bright with light. Not one place for a man in a hockey mask to hide. I can't help smile in relief as I practically skip to my door.

I reach into my bag to get my keys but they aren't there. I frown and start rummaging through the useless crap that occupies my purse. I know I had them.

"You dropped these," said a soft velvety voice.

I sigh in relief, and look up to thank whoever found my keys but it wasn't who I thought it would be. It was _him_, dangling the keys in front of me. He smirked and shoved the key into the door. In a flash he had opened the door, and shoved me in, locking the door behind us.

"Y-you!" I gasp, stumbling backward.

He crossed his arms and shook his head, but still looked amused.

"Ge-get _out!"_ I reach for the closest thing near me (which happened to be a lamp) and hurl it at him.

Before it had made it half way he was next to me, gripping my shoulders tightly and pushing me against a wall. The lamp smashed seconds later.

"That temper of yours is going to get you into trouble." He laughs.

My voice wasn't working anymore. I open my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. The man found this amusing. He bent his head forward and nuzzled my neck, inhaling deeply.

As he became over interested in my neck I fumbled with my purse and pulled out my Mace. I glance over to make sure he wasn't paying attention so I can raise it up and aim. His white hand blurred in front of me, grasping my wrist and pulling the Mace out. I gasp in surprise, his cold hands gripping me so tightly it cut the circulation from my hand. He looked up to me with cold eyes. The beautiful blue looked like it was made of ice.

"You're a little viper."

He didn't sound angry though. I look away, but one of his cold hands gently grips my chin and lifts my face up to his. He was close, our faces only a few inches apart. His beautiful face had a smile across it, making little dimples in his cheeks. He sighed and suddenly took a step back, creating a giant space between us. For some unknown reason I felt colder with him away. He folded his arms and watched me curiously.

"I think we started on the wrong foot." He said casually.

I choke out a laugh. He simply raised an eyebrow. Was he serious? 'Start off on the wrong foot'? He made it seem like how we met was normal!

"My name is Jack."

I glare at him. The smile on his flawless lips didn't disappear. "Normally the other person gives their name in return." He quips.

This was all a joke to him! Was he just playing cat-and-mouse before he pulls out the machete and chops me to bits?

"Get. Out." I hiss.

Jack leans against the kitchen counter and shakes his head. "Not yet. I still don't know your name." He glances behind him, noticing a bottle of wine. He reaches for it, then takes a wine glass and pours the wine in.

"You don't mind, do you?" he asks.

I don't answer, but stare at him in amazement. Was he serious?

"Won't you have some?" He says pleasantly, lifting up his glass. He takes a sip and smiles. "Excellent. This must have been expensive."

"It was," I growl through clenched teeth. That was my 300 bottle of wine I'd saved for a special occasion. And now was being wasted by a psycho.

Jack takes another glass and pours some wine in that. "Please join me. This is exquisite. I really don't want to drink it all by myself."

My mouth falls open involuntarily. He wouldn't dare!

Jack smirks at my expression. He takes the two glasses and takes a few steps closer, stretching out a glass to me. I shake my head in disbelief. I don't care if it's my wine, I wasn't about to take it from him. Jack just shakes his head, making his thick black hair to look more disheveled.

"I haven't poisoned it, if that's what you're thinking." He half laughs. "You really should taste this."

He lifts the glass a little closer, smiling encouragingly. I look at the glass and back at Jack. If it wasn't for the fact that he'd followed me home twice now I would have thought he looked like a respectable guy. However, that wasn't the case.

I reach out and carefully take the glass, making sure not to touch him. Jack smiles widely, briefly flashing prefect white teeth. He takes another sip while watching me over the rim of the glass. I glance down to mine and smell it. It smelled like good wine, nothing else. Of course you can't really smell roofies… or some I'm told. Even though every voice in my head is screaming at me not to drink it, I can't let _my_ wine go to waste. I lift it to my mouth and take a sip.

"What do you think?" Jack asks.

I don't answer. Not because it wasn't good, hell it was delicious, but because the only thing worth saying to Jack is "get out".

Before I realize it my glass is empty, and I'm stretching the glass out for Jack to refill it. He happily does and watches as I empty that one too. By now the room was starting to get fuzzy, and Jack being there wasn't as scary. In fact, it was almost funny. Almost.

"Another glass?" He asks sweetly.

"Oooh, yes, please!" I lift up the glass and giggle as he fills it up for the 8th time.

"So may I ask you what your name is?" He said dulcetly.

I shake my head. "No, no. You can't know. But you can give me more wine."

"But it's still full."

"Well look at that! It is!"

I start to giggle and try to drink more while laughing, but end up choking. Jack was suddenly at my side, patting my back gently, and taking away my glass.

"Hey!"

"I think that's enough for one night."

"I disagree."

Jack laughs and shakes his head. "You're drunk."

"You're sexy."

Jack raises his eyebrows in surprise as a smile turns up the edges of his mouth. I try to push him away but his cold hand was holding me firmly next to him. I give up and just stand there, trying to collect my thoughts. It was getting harder. But I could tell something was wrong. I shook my head and tried to figure out what was nagging at the back of my mind. And then the nagging moved down to stomach and I realized it wasn't worry.

"You don't look so good," Jack said.

I groan and clutch my stomach. Jack quickly stepped to the side before all my expensive wine came back up and all over the floor. I could hear Jack laughing quietly nearby as I wretched again. His cold hands glided to my head, sweeping my hair away from my face. He continued to laugh, which reminded me how much I hated him.

.

.

"Andrea! Andrea! Where the hell are you!"

I groan and roll onto my side. My head felt like it was tied to a pallet of bricks. I try to lift myself up but my head refused to move. The phone starts to ring again, the high pitch beeping making my head throb. The answering machine clicked over, and my voice began playing.

"_Hello, you've reached Andrea and King Henry. We can't come to the phone…"_

I roll over to my phone on the bedside table and pick up the reciever.

"Hello?"

"Andrea? What the hell! Where are you?" It was Linda.

"I'm uh…"

"Never mind, don't answer. I don't even want to know. The meeting started ten minutes ago! Get your ass down here in twenty minutes or you're fired!"

The dead tone clicked over. _Shiiiiit_. I push myself up, ignoring the pounding in my head, and look at the clock. It's 3:40 p.m. I blink a few times, waiting for it to hit why this should bother me.

"Oh my god! The meeting!"

I throw myself out of bed and sprint to my closet, not caring what I grab and throwing it on. I dash out of my room, snatching my bag and keys and running out of the apartment.

"Wait, wait!" I scream, as I run through the revolving doors and flag down a taxi. I wrench open the door and fall in.

"I'll pay you double if you can get me there in ten minutes." I pant.

The driver suddenly grins, and peel's out, weaving illegally through the traffic. Amazingly, the driver got to Manhattan in ten minutes. I shove several bills at him and hurry through the back door. Tim, Linda and several others were sitting around an oval table. Linda looks up to me as I enter and purses her lips.

"I'm so sorry!" I pant, taking a seat next to Tim. "I-"

"I don't want to know." Linda says.

Linda was the manager of _Pleasures._ She was skinny in every sense. Her face was long and thin with high cheekbones, shallow eyes, and she had an abnormally long neck that greatly reminded me of a giraffe. Today she wore a yellow jacket with black spots that only extenuated that.

"Are you alright? You look awful." Tim whispers.

I just nod. There was no way I could try to explain the night before.

"Now that _everyone _is here," Linda says, shooting me a dirty look. "Let's begin discussing final plans for the fund raiser dinner this Friday."

I inwardly groan. How had I forgotten? Linda had been talking incessantly about this dinner for the last month. It'd gotten so annoying I almost bought earplugs to block her out.

"Now there will be many important people that are willing to invest their money. But the ones we need to focus on are the Clark brothers. Not only can they donate money but, well... they own the rights to the club. If they don't agree with how it is now, you can bet there will be some drastic changes."

I smile to myself knowing the first would be the dismissal of Linda. I wouldn't exactly argue with that decision.

"And I'm appointing Andrea to make sure they're satisfied."

"What!" I groan.

Linda frowns at me. "You are the most… aesthetically pleasing person." She mumbles. "And the Clark brothers are a bunch of old men. I'm sure you can dazzle some money out of their cheap-"

"I'm not sleeping with anyone if that's what you're-"

"Andrea!" Tim snapped.

I cross my arms and pout. Childish, yes, but I was _not_ about to put on a skimpy French maid outfit and serve drinks.

"That's _not_ what I was saying!" Linda snaps back. "Just smile and be friendly. God knows they're could use a smile."

"Fine."

Linda finishes going over final touches for that night, but I wasn't listening. The night I was already dreading had drastically gotten worse. Of course, I couldn't argue we needed it, badly. _Pleasures_ wasn't exactly the hot place to be. And because of that we needed money to try to renovate… and stay open. Linda had come up with the idea of having a fundraiser, inviting rich so-and-so's who would donate money. But trying to pass off a warehouse nightclub as a ritzy bar was, well near impossible.

"Were you going to take the day off?" Tim asks.

I look up to him to see him standing. We're the last one's at the table.

"Oh, yeah, sure." I mumble, not really thinking about it. Tim nods and heads down stairs to man the bar. I float back outside into the warm sunshine, my mind still thinking about how I could possibly make a pair of grouchy men want to spend money and WAIT A MINUTE!

"Damn it!" I yell. I'd just agreed to take the day off! That meant I was going to have to figure out what to do with myself tonight. And I was _not _going to be in my apartment. I check my watch. There were still a few hours before Jody got off work. Only one thing to do -

Get some coffee.

.

.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, and again sorry about the mess up last chapter. Jody, not Judy. **


	3. Who Needs Shelter

Like always Charlie's Coffee House was filled with people

**A/n: Here the next chapter. Thank you to all who have reviewed and favorited. **

**.**

**.**

Like always, Charlie's Coffee House was filled with people. The counter had a long line filled mainly with women dressed in business clothes. I take a spot in line and try to read the menu hanging behind the counter. All the drinks had crazy names that didn't really describe the drink. By the time I finally got to the counter I had no idea what I wanted. I just felt confused.

"Welcome to Charlie's. What'll you have?"

"Um…" I look back up to the board, trying for the third time to find the regular coffee. "What is a 'Cinnamon Cream Frothichino'?"

The guy behind the counter smiles. "It's one of our cold blended drinks. It has cinnamon and vanilla cream in it."

"Oh," that wasn't what I wanted. "Okay, what about the 'Leo Latte'?"

The guy smiles larger. "It's a latte."

I could feel my cheeks burn. "Right,"

"You don't come here much, do you?" he asks.

Behind me a woman let out an annoyed sigh. I was holding up the line. "I do, but my friend normally orders the coffee."

"Ah," he half laughs. "Do you want a regular cup of coffee, then?"

"Yes, please!"

"What size would you like?"

"Small,"

"A tall Blackened Joe for-" he looks at me with raised eyebrows.

"Andrea," I say quickly.

"For Andrea!"

Near by people behind the counter began pulling out cups. The guy rang me up. "That's 3 dollars and 5 cents, Andrea."

I hand him the money. He quickly makes change and says, "Your drink will be ready in a few minutes. Go ahead and take a seat and we'll bring it to you when it's ready."

I find a small red chair in the back where the lighting is dim, giving the room a warm homey feeling. I lean back into the soft cushion, letting my mind wander. The strong smell of coffee lulled me into a daze, while the sounds of talking fuzzed and the maroon walls blurred together. A beautiful pale face began flooding into my mind, smiling brightly with his lips always pressed together so his teeth were hidden. Goosebumps began sprouting across my arms and slowly traveled through my body, even though Charlie's was warm. My stomach contracted. The pale face began to get brighter, and the darkness around his face grew so it felt like a beacon in the black.

"Miss Andrea?"

My eyes flutter open to see the cashier standing in front of me with a coffee mug in his hands. He smiled warmly, and set the mug on the small table next to me.

"Falling asleep?" he laughs.

My cheeks pinked.

"Well the coffee should help. If you need anything my name is Adam." He walked away with a grin.

I reach for the coffee and bring it to my lips. The hot coffee hit my tongue and slides down my throat. I immediately feel a jolt of energy run through my body. I take another large gulp, enjoying the rich taste. I suddenly understood why people became addicted to this stuff.

My mind began to wander back to the pale face. I couldn't help it; it was like I was addicted. Damn, just like the coffee. The face was so clear in my head, like I was staring at it. The flawless structure, and pink lips, those ice blue eyes…

"Miss Andrea?"

I blink away the face and see Adam again. He had taken off his work hat, revealing short blond hair.

"Just Andrea," I say.

"How is the coffee, just Andrea?"

I giggle at his obvious effort of flirting. "Great."

Adam grins.

"Hey, thank you for helping me make an order. I honestly don't understand this coffee language."

Adam laughs. It was deep and reminded me of how Santa Clause might laugh. It was so contagious I couldn't help but grin back.

"Well you looked like you needed help."

My cheeks pink again. "That obvious?"

Adam laughs, making me smile even though it was about me. "Only a lot."

He glances at his wristwatch and scrunches his eyebrows together in thought. He looks up to my curiously, then grins.

"Hey, my shift ends in a few minutes. Do you mind if I join you?"

His enthusiastic face was just too adorable to deny. I smile and nod. He grins, causing me to smile even larger.

"Excellent, just let me clock out."

Adam bounds away, easily weaving through the squashy chairs to the swinging door in the back with a plaque nailed on that read, "Employee's only". It took him all of thirty seconds to clock out, change into a white collared shirt and hurry back to me. He grabs a blue squashy chair and swings it around so he can face me.

Adam had an oval face with deep-set chocolate eyes beneath tan eyebrows. His cheeks were naturally pink, giving him a flushed happy look, like he was always laughing. He was tall and muscular, much like the physique of a football player. But his face was happy and he had a personality that seemed like it could turn any grump into laughing fits.

"So are you from New York?" He asks.

I nod. "Sure am,"

Adam beams. "So I better be seeing more of you then. You have no excuse."

I smile. How could I deny that giant smile? "I'll try to stop in more."

"And then maybe you can learn how to speak 'coffee'." He laughed at his own joke. Several people sitting nearby began to smile with him.

He stopped laughing, but his lips were still twitching up, like he had some secret joke on his mind. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back happily.

"I love being off work," he laughed.

I laughed along. "Amen,"

Adam raised his eyebrows curiously. "Yeah? Where do you work?"

"Pleasures. It's a club in-"

"Oh, I know where that is." He said. "I mean, I've never been there, but I've heard of it."

I roll my eyes. Yeah, go figure. _No_ one goes there.

"What do you do there?"

"Bartender," I say blandly. It's not as fun as people think, at least not in Pleasures.

Adam's smile fades slightly. "Ah, a bartender, huh? So you're what… 23, 24?"

I laugh silently. "Not exactly. More like 19."

Adam raises his eyebrows curiously. "_Really?_"

"Yeah, you aren't the first one to make that mistake."

He laughs. "19, huh? Then how…"

"Long story," I laugh. "Let's just say I was the best one for the job." More like the only one for the job.

Adam just laughs again, making me smile with him. "Well all right." He shrugs loftily, making me notice how broad his shoulders are. Definitely a football player at one point.

"So how old are you?" I ask back.

Adam smiles. "Guess,"

I roll my eyes, but stare at him carefully. If you looked past all the laughter, Adam looked like an adult. Maybe 22? 24?

"20?" I guess slowly.

A grin spreads across his face. "Nope!" He says happily.

"Was I close?"

He laughs. "Yeah, actually. I'm 21."

I laugh. "We should trade jobs. At least you're legally allowed to do it."

Adam nods. "I sure am. But I don't know a thing about that stuff. If it's not beer, I don't want it."

I shake my head. "You're one of _those_."

Adam laughs. "College got to me."

My stomach knots painfully, but I try not to let my face reflect it. Adam doesn't seem to notice so I don't say anything. Not like I wanted to bring up why I wasn't it college anyways. I didn't really know Adam.

A peppy ringing breaks our conversation. I reach into my bag and pull out my phone. Jody's name was scrolling across the screen.

"Oh, give me a sec," I say to Adam before I flip open the phone and press it to my ear. "Jody! Are you done with work?"

"Yeah, I am. How are you doing?" Jody says.

"Okay. Hey, are you heading back to the apartment?"

"Yes…"

"Do you mind if I come by?"

"Of course not." Jody laughs.

My heart relaxes with relief. "Great! I'll be there in a few minutes."

We hang up and I look back to Adam who was smiling at me with interest. I smile back at him as I stuff my phone back into my bag.

"Boyfriend?" He asks.

I try not to roll my eyes. I knew what he was really driving at. For a second I almost say yes, but figure there was no reason to be cruel.

"No, it was my friend. I'm going to head over to _her_ house. Sorry for running out on you."

Adam smiles, but I knew he picked up on the fact I never said I didn't have a boyfriend. Might as well keep him guessing.

"No worries. I need to get out of here anyways. I've already pulled a double shift. No need to spend more time in here than I need to."

He grinned at me. We both got up and weaved our way to the door. Outside the streets were just as busy as usual. The only difference was the windows reflecting an orange-red color across the street and buildings. It was almost night. My heart fluttered nervously at the thought of walking in the dark soon. _Not_ if I could help it.

I quickly turn to Adam and wave. "Nice meeting you!" I call over my shoulder, as I start quickly walking toward the subway.

"You too!" He tries to yell back over the sea of busy people.

I didn't bother looking to see where he went. My mind was too focused on getting somewhere with a lock and key before the sun set. For some reason I just felt safer in the sun.

The subway was crowded as usual. But thankfully, no mysterious handsome guys dressed in all black. I made it onto Jody's street just as twilight was ending. The streetlights were all ready starting to flicker on. I hurry to her apartment, and ring the buzzer.

"Hello?"

I push the buzzer and lean toward the box, yelling, "Hey Jody! It's Andrea."

"Oh!" Her crackling voice responded excitedly. "Come on in!"

The door next to me buzzed. I quickly gab the handle and hurry in before it locks and I have to ring Jody again. I can't count how many times we've had to do it over because I didn't grab the door in time. We've even had to count to three as I kept my hand on the door because our timing was so bad.

The inside was nothing more than a spiraling staircase that leveled out on each floor. Jody's place was on the second, thankfully. I hurry up and knock on her door. She was all ready waiting for me.

"Hey, hey! Come on in!"

The inside was similar to mine: a small kitchen connected to the living room, one bedroom and bathroom, and a balcony off the living room. One of Jody's cats greets me at the door, weaving through my legs as I walk into the living room and fall onto her soft couch. The black and white car leaps lightly on my chest and begins purring as I pet it.

"How are you?" Jody asks.

I groan. "My head is killing me."

Jody laughs. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Do you mind if I jump in the shower really quick? Work was killer."

"No, go ahead," I say, petting Darcy happily.

Jody worked in a day care, where all the working New Yorkers dumped their kids, ages 2-6; in other words, my nightmare. But Jody loved it. It wasn't something I envied, but her stories she came back with were always entertaining. The sound of running water soon stared, along with Jody's singing. I smile and turn on my side, letting Cookie fall off me, onto two other cats.

I yawn, sitting up to try to find the TV remote. A worn book on the coffee table near the couch catches my eye. I pick it up and read the title.

_Interview With A Vampire._

My stomach tightens for some reason. On the cover was a dark silhouetted figure that lurked in the shadows of a dark corridor. I open the paperback and start reading the first chapter. My heart was slowing down. There was no reason to get so spastic over a book. Until the vampire came…He was thin, beautiful, and white. Ghost white. His actions were too quick, his eyes crystal blue and intimidating.

I didn't pay attention to the name. There was only one that was in my head: _Jack. _

"Oh, you found my book?" laughed Jody.

I jump in surprise to see Jody standing in her bedroom door in a blue bathrobe, her curly hair dripping at her shoulders. I quickly close the book and choke out a laugh.

"Yeah, it just… caught my eye." I say.

"Go ahead and read it. I just finished it. It's a real page turner." Jody says, before walking into her room to change.

My throat contracted and became unbearably dry. I throw the book onto the table and hurry into the kitchen, filling a glass up with tap water. I gulp it down, but my thirst didn't feel satisfied. My throat was still tight and my stomach was starting to turn in itself.

The description of that vampire… it had been so prefect. It was so… _Jack._

_No._ I tell myself firmly. _This is ridiculous! There's no such thing as Vampires. That guy is probably some psycho who broke from his asylum._

Yes, that sounded much more realistic. If I ever run into that _Jack_ again, I would simply call the cops – like Jody has said – and tell them a crazy man was in my apartment.

My stomach cringed at the thought of Jack being in my apartment again. I took a deep breath and told myself firmly it would _never_ happen again. I'll buy ten more locks if I have to.

Jody came out of her room a few minutes later, smelling and look mighty clean. She fell onto her couch and began flipping through the TV channels (apparently she hides the remote so the cats don't chew it to death). I sit next to her, forcing myself to pay attention to whatever mindless show was on, rather than the evil book on the table that would remind me of what I was trying _desperately_ not to think of. It didn't really work. My eyes kept flickering down to the dark figure in the shadows, the faceless man who preyed on lonely girls walking home alone…

I shudder. I glance over to Jody to see if she notices, but she was too into the show. I grab a blanket anyway, and wrap it around me. I force myself to stare at the TV, until I wasn't paying attention anymore, but falling asleep with my head on my knees.

.

.

**A/n: That's it. I hope you enjoyed it. **


	4. Keep Breathing

**A/N: Here's chapter four. The song is by Ingrid Michaelson.**

**.**

**.**

"What do you mean we won't have the shrimp? We ordered it two months ago! No, I don't want to hear your excuses. You find a way to get it! And I want answers to where the damn caterer is!"

I hang up my cell phone and sigh heavily. Linda was being nothing short of hysterical. The fundraiser dinner was tonight and she was completely psychotic. The caterer got lost in Queens, the decorations weren't finished (making the club look half assed) and several guests canceled last minute. Linda didn't need to say it – if tonight went wrong, head's would roll. And lucky me, I was put in charge of fixing everything.

This job did _not _pay enough.

My phone rings again. I pull it out and see Tim's name on the screen. "Please tell me you have good news."

Tim's pause makes me want to cry. "Actually, Drea, one of our regular customers is throwing a fit because we closed early. He's demanding entry."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"I don't know. I thought you'd have an idea. You're creative."

I could tell Tim is frustrated. In the background I could hear screaming. No doubt it was Sam wanting his 2 o'clock Sherry.

"Just… give him a small glass of Sherry and tell him to leave."

Tim hangs up without saying goodbye. I shove my phone back into my bag as I try to weave through a crowded street. My arms are overloaded with bags from last minute purchases Linda thought were necessary. My phone starts ringing again but I ignore it. There was no way we were going to make it out alive tonight.

.

.

"Wow,"

Tim crosses his arms and nods proudly. "Took all day but I'd say it'll please Linda."

The warehouse had been completely renovated. The black walls were decorated with modern art and string lights that reached the ceiling. The dingy floors had been covered in a temporary beige carpet. Upstairs the balcony was strung with lights as well. All the tables had white cloths over them, with small candles and polished silverware on top. My bar had been covered with a cloth, too, and all my drinks were covered in white ribbon.

"Well, it looks more clean." I laugh.

Tim rolls his eyes. I check my watch and groan. It was already six. Linda will be here soon, and in just a few hours so will the guests. I still had to get ready.

"Where do I set up?" asked the caterer.

"Upstairs," Tim says.

I had found the caterer wandering between two restaurants in Queens, trying to figure out the wrong directions Linda had given him. He wasn't too happy about that…or that we had to lug all his food into a cab back to Manhattan because his truck was taken back to his place.

"You better get ready," Tim says, checking his watch too. "You don't want Linda to see you like that. She might kill you before the dinner even starts."

I laugh, even though it's completely true. I had brought my outfit this morning and shoved it in the storage room to change into later. It was a simple white shirt, black sleeveless vest, and grey dress pants. Even though I was told to schmooze the guests out of all their money, I wasn't going to do it in a skimpy dress.

I quickly changed, reapplying my makeup and adding some blush and light eye shadow. Decent enough. I run my fingers through my hair, and decide to keep it down. I'd straightened it this morning, and really didn't feel like trying to do anything more to it.

"This is it?" Linda's muffled voice snaps.

Her voice makes me cringe. I walk to the door and look through the little window to see in the main room. Linda was walking around the bottom floor looking everything over. Her face was pinched and ugly. Tim stood with the others who'd worked all day on the club. He didn't look too happy.

"Well, I guess it will do." Linda sighs. "Not that we have much choice now. Where is Andrea! Did she find the caterer?"

I hurry out of the back room, straightening my shirt nervously. "I'm here. And yes, I found him. He's getting set up-"

"_What_ are you wearing!"

I force the smile on my face to stay. Linda scowled.

"What did I tell you? How are you supposed to get any donations if you look like a librarian!"

_Just keep smiling. Keep smiling, Andrea. It will pay off in the end. _

"I think she looks nice," Tim says.

Linda sent him a death glare. She checked her watch and frowned. "Fine, fine. Stay frumpy. We need to finish everything. Get the dishes out. Start acting like waiters for Heaven's sake!"

.

.

"Welcome to Pleasures, Ma'am."

"Welcome, Sir. May I take your coat?"

"Would Ma'am like a hors d'oeuvre?"

I adjust my shirt again as I stand near the bar, watching the waiters meander through the guests. Surprisingly, a good number of people came. All of them are dressed like they're about to go to some five star restaurant. Instead they're at a club trying to pass itself as a she-she bar.

I put on my fake smile and walk up to a couple near by. The woman was dressed in a sparkling blue dress and the man in a black suit, like all the men here. Apparently men with money aren't creative with their wardrobe.

"Good evening," I say, politely bowing my head. "How are sir and ma'am enjoying themselves this evening?"

The woman smiles warmly at me. "Well. I had no idea this quaint place existed. It reminds me of something like a bohemian style."

Her husband just nods. I try to fight back a laugh. "Well thank you, ma'am."

"This place must be busy regularly."

My mind flashes to the empty, carpetless warehouse with tattooed drunks grinding on each other. "It fluctuates,"

A waiter walked to us and the woman took a cracker. I bow and leave. None of these people were very interesting. All of them have the same stories: wealthy bankers or attorneys who own large villas and luxury cars.

I spot a lone man standing near the back wall, staring at the art. He seems to stand out from the other uptight, high class guests. He wasn't trying to make conversations with others, or seemed interested in anything, for that matter. I start drifting to him with out realizing it, wanting to see the mysterious man's face. I walk up behind him, debating if I should say anything.

"Enjoying the art?" I finally say.

The man turns to me with a large grin and I feel my heart plummet.

"You!" I gasp.

Jack was standing with a large smirk across his perfect face, looking me over with interest. "I'm happy to see you again, too."

"What are you doing here!"

Jack laughs. "This is a party, isn't it?"

"You weren't invited."

Jack doesn't seem to be bothered with how rude I'm being. He leans against the wall and keeps smiling. Like before, he was dressed in a black button shirt, and black dress pants. Perfect, as always. But he didn't seem as pale as before. He was white, no doubt, but there was a tinge of color to his cheeks. I glare at him, trying to ignore the awful thudding of my heart.

How did he find me? Was it coincidence? No, it couldn't be. Linda sent out invitations. He wouldn't have been invited.

"No name tag?" he says disappointedly.

"I'm surprised you don't all ready know, you stalker."

Jack throws his head back and laughs. My heart beats faster. "A stalker? I suppose I can see that." He started laughing again.

I can feel my hands shaking. I take a step away that Jack doesn't notice. Would he try to kill me here, in front of all these people?

Jack looks at me with twinkling eyes. He's acting completely normal! Ugh! Why can't he just say, _Yes, I am a stalker, and I'm planning to follow you home and chop you into millions of pieces._ It would be so much easier to hate him.

Unfortunately Linda was watching me. I spot her near the bar, her beady eyes squinted as she craned her long neck over every one's heads. I clench my teeth and put on a smile that looks more like a grimace.

"Is there anything I can get you, _sir_?" I say through my teeth.

Jack just laughs. "Why yes, miss. I'd love to know the name of this wonderful hostess in front of me."

I narrow my eyes but keep the painful smile on. "Ivana,"

Jack beams. "Ivana?"

"Ivana Yougawn."

Jack raised his eyebrows then throws his head back with laughter. I clench my fists. A hand squeezes my shoulder carefully. I turn to see Tim standing next to me with a cautious smile. He could tell something was wrong. My hero!

"Everything all right, Andrea?" He asks softly.

Apparently not soft enough. Jack's head snaps to attention and looks at me with a grin. "Andrea?"

I frown. Damn it Tim!

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Tim asks Jack. "A drink, maybe? We have some delicious food up-"

"No thank you," Jack says, waving Tim away. His eyes are locked on me, and was grinning from ear to ear.

Tim sighs and walks away. I try to follow him but Jack catches me by the arm.

"Hold on," he coos. "Aren't you supposed to entertain me, Andrea?"

He said my name with more pleasure than he should. It creeped me out, and frankly, just made me want to take a hard punch to his groin.

"First of all, don't touch me!" I snap. Jack laughs and takes him hand away. "Secondly, I'm not a clown. I'm here to ensure we get donations. So unless you have a Swiss bank account, you're wasting my time."

Jack smiles warmly. I give him another evil look then march back to where Tim is.

"You all right, hun?"

I sigh and shake my head. I would love to start screaming my problems but 1: I can't make a scene, I'd get fired; 2: Jack wouldn't probably hear with his unnatural bat ears; and 3: Linda was marching toward me so I was probably about to get fired.

"Andrea?" She snaps.

I smile and bat my eyes. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Have you spoken to the Clark brothers yet?"

"I was about to talk to them," I hedge.

"Well you better get on it. We need their donations, and they don't seem to be enjoying themselves."

We look over to a group of men sitting at a table. The two largest, and oldest had defined frowns on their faces. I wince.

"Go!" Linda hisses, then shoved me toward them.

I nervously start playing with my hair. The Clark brothers are big in the banking industry, and apparently don't enjoy dinner parties. Of course, Linda wouldn't have bothered finding that out. They were easily 300 pounds, and have squashy tomato-like faces topped with wispy grey hair. I put on my best smile and lift my head confidently, even though I felt anything but that.

"Good evening, gentlemen." I say, placing a hand on the shoulder of one of the men at the table.

All the men slowly look up to me with sour faces. My heart starts pounding faster. "How are you all enjoying yourselves tonight?" I ask.

The frowns on the Clark's worsened. _Oh no._ A man to my left with a large jar and watery eyes finally answers.

"Fine."

Well that didn't help me. "Have you tried any of the food our caterer has-"

"Yes, we've tried the mediocre food." Said one of the Clark brothers.

"Oh, okay then." I stumble.

CRAP! My heart was racing even harder. I was loosing them. Now we weren't going to get enough money to keep the club open and we'd all lose out jobs! Why didn't I wear something skimpy?

A hand found my shoulder and squeezed it. I sigh in relief. Thank you back up. I turn to see Jack standing next to me. My heart plunges. No, not him!

"There you are, Andrea." Jack says, flashing a smile to the men.

The men all look to Jack curiously. I throw him a furious look, but Jack winks at me. What was he doing!

"Good evening, gentlemen." Jack says.

"Who is your friend, miss?" says one of the Clark brothers.

"Er, this is… Jack. He's just an acquaintance."

Jack beams at the men. "Pleasure to meet you all."

He sticks his hand out and to my horror they all start to reach for it. He made his way around the table, listening to all the men's introductions. He began to talk, laughing and pausing at the perfect times. He was completely entertaining. I watch in amazement as the Clark's start to smile. Jack pulled me into the conversations so I could add something to the conversation. Somehow he made it look like _I_ was being the host and he was just adding his two scents in.

"How are you enjoying that wine, Mr. Donnahew?" He asks the large chinned man, thumping him on the back.

Dr. Donnahew raised his glass and grinned. "The wine here is delicious."

Jack looks up to me with raised eyebrows. I quickly catch on to what he's trying to do.

"Did you know, Mr. Donnahew, that Pleasures has the largest wine selection here in New York?"

All the men look up to me with surprise. "Is that so?"

"It is, Mr. Clark." Jack says. "It's a shame though."

Mr. Bradshaw turns to Jack. "What is?"

"Oh, that Pleasures is closing." Jack dismisses it with a wave of a hand. "Have you seen that new Broadway play-"

"Wait a minute," Mr. Donnahew cut in. "Pleasures is closing?"

The table suddenly turns to me. My eyes widen in surprise. Jack was standing on the other side of the table, nodding his head.

"Yes," I say.

"For what reason?" Mr. Williams asks.

I look back at Jack who quickly makes a money sign with his fingers. "Oh, our funding hasn't been up to par,"

The men around the table (except the Clark's) seemed very upset by this. I look towards the Clark's to see them sitting smugly.

"Well, I believe they were hoping to raise enough money tonight to keep this fine establishment open." Jack cuts in.

The table nods. I watch Jack carefully. He placed a hand on either shoulder of the Clark's and then looked up to me with a wink. I smile.

"Well we do own the right to this fine establishment," said one of the Clark's. "I think we have a say in if it stay's open."

He smiles at me before nudging his brother. The other Clark all ready had his checkbook out. He winks at me, before waving it purposely.

"We'll make sure donations have been left by tonight's end."

I grin. "Thank you sir! It will be much appreciated."

One of the men at the table raises his checkbook and clears his throat. "I think we all would love to give our share to keeping this great place afloat."

The other men nod in agreement, a few patting the coats where I'd guess their checkbooks were. Again I grin, and bow.

"Thank you,"

One of the Clark's waves his hand dismissively. "Yes, yes. Now where is that waiter? I'd like more Port."

He nabbed a waiter passing by and the men started giving orders. I bow and walk away before I have a chance to screw something up. Jack catches me by the arm again before I walk into the storage room.

"Well?"

"I don't know how you did it but thank you."

Jack grins. "My pleasure."

"I guess I owe you?"

Jack seems to think about it, pressing his lips together in thought. Before he has a chance to suggest something crazy (like killing me in the alley outside) I decide to offer a suggestion.

"How much money do you want?"

Jack cocks his eyebrow. "Money? I don't want any of your money."

"Then what do you want?"

Jack grins and immediately I regret what I said. What could he possibly be concocting?

"How about dinner and a movie?"

My eyes widen with surprise. "A date!?"

He shrugs. "You could call it that."

He was completely calm about this! Did he happen to forget the nights he followed me home and forced his way into my home?

"No!"

Jack puts on a puppy face. He bats his large blue eyes that made my heart flutter. Damn, he was good.

"No." I say again, more to myself then to him.

"Why not?"

"You creep me out, for one."

Jack laughs. He wasn't taking me seriously.

"Maybe you don't remember, but _you_ followed me home!"

"I thought we agreed to star over."

I laugh. "'We' nothing! That was all you."

Jack laughs and shrugs. "So no date?"

"_No_."

Linda came bounding toward us with a giant grin. She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me tightly. I gasp as all my air is pushed out of me.

"You did it!" She says. "They've given us enough money to completely remodel!"

She let go. I smile and take a step back. She looked like she might kiss me. Linda turns to Jack, who was watching with amusement. She looks him over then pats me on the back.

"Your boyfriend is cute."

My mouth drops open. Before I can say a thing Linda hurries off. Jack started shaking with laughter. He reached out, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulls me to him.

"I like her." He laughs.

I push him away. "Don't get used to it."

Jack keeps laughing. I shove the back door open and stomp into the storage room. No one else was in here. I slam my head against a box, and leave it there. I hear the door open again, and inwardly groan.

"That can't be comfortable."

"It is. Now will you _leave!_"

Jack laughs. He stands next to me with his arms crossed. My heart flutters when I realize we're alone. I snap my head up but he doesn't seem about to do anything crazy. Not yet, anyways.

"So," he says slowly. "About the dinner and movie-"

"Forget it."

Jack sighs. "No chance of persuading you?"

"No."

He sighs again and nods. He plunges his hand into his pants pocket and pulls out a sleek black phone. It was one I'd never seen before and looked expensive. He flipped it open quickly before shoving it back into his pocket.

"Well, it's late. I have to leave."

"Too bad." I make sure to add as much sarcasm as possible.

Jack walked toward the door, paused, and turned back to me. "Have a good night, Andrea."

I sigh and gave a small smile. "Thanks again, Jack."

He smiled. "See you soon."

He pushed the door open and hurried out. My eyes widen in horror, because I knew he was right.


	5. One Step Closer

**A/n: Firstly I want to say I'm sorry it has taken so long to update. Don't loose faith, I'm still writing, and have a lot planned for further chapters! Thank you to everyone who reviewed. **

**This song is by **_Linkin Park__**.**_

**.**

**.**

"So how did the dinner go?"

I shrugged. "Actually it went pretty good, we got enough donations to renovate."

Jody smiled as she pulled a book off a shelf. She had dragged me into some back alley bookstore that was nothing short of sketchy. The store was lined with shelves packed with dusty books from floor to ceiling; the place smelled musty and oddly, a lot like pencil shavings. The owner was nowhere to be seen, but Jody had insisted this was a good thing. She wouldn't say why.

"Well that's good. Maybe Linda will give you a raise." She pulled out a small yellow book, flipped to the end, and laughed. "What an awful ending." She shoved it back into the shelf.

"Yeah that would be amazing." I hadn't told Jody about Jack. I couldn't. How could I have possibly explained what he'd done? How he'd practically hypnotized the entire guest list into giving us more than they could afford; how he's been following me home, how he'd asked me on a date…

"Jody," I turned to my right but Jody had disappeared.

"Over here!" She called.

Ugh, she'd wandered to another isle. I started drifting towards her voice, rounding the corner of the isle I was at when a man jumped out in front of me. His arms were outstretched, blocking my way around. He was just slightly shorter than me, but that could have been because he was hunched over. His hair was grey, and messy, and it looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days.

"Welcome, miss," he said in a raspy voice. "I'm Mr. Marson. How may I be of service?"

This must be the owner. I shrugged and tried to scoot away from him but he followed.

"I'm just here with a friend."

He nods. His dark eyes were plastered to me, following every little move I made. I make a small smile, and he just frowns. There was something very creepy about him. The more we stared at each other, the more I couldn't help I'd seen him from somewhere.

"Fall is ending soon," Mr. Marson said softly. " The days are shorter in winter, and there's nothing good about darkness, nothing. It's a dangerous place out there."

And that's when it hit me – the man from the bar! He came in a few days before talking about how "dangerous" it is. Mr. Marson takes a step closer to me, and his frown increases, making the lines around his face double.

"Very dangerous," he mumbled. He took another step closer. "But you already know."

"I don't know what you mean." I tried taking another step away but he quickly followed.

"You've seen _them_."

He was just a foot away from me, his beady little eyes beaming up at me like they could read exactly what I was thinking. I tried to smile again but it didn't feel right. This guy was creeping me out.

"You have the look," he whispered. "The look of one's who have _seen_ them. I can see it in your eyes."

A shiver ran up my spine. I try to hide it but Mr. Marson grinned. He saw it.

"But you don't know!" He gasped.

I just shook my head. "I'm sorry I have no idea what you are talking about."

Mr. Marson nodded. "Yes, you wouldn't."

"What-"

"You must protect yourself!" He hissed. "You aren't safe, now that you are their target!" His hand flew up and he seized a small black book in the corner of a shelf.

"Here!" He shoved the book into my hand.

There was nothing particularly special about it, just a dusty, worn black book that's pages were yellow and rough on the edges. It would have been one I'd have overlooked. There was no title or author name on the cover.

"But I-"

"Free of charge," Mr. Marson said. "Read it. Learn it. Protect yourself."

At the front of the store a little bell rang, followed by Jody's voice, saying, "Hello? I have a book I'd like to buy."

Mr. Marson gave me another stern look, before hurrying away. I lifted the book up, its ruddy front covering my hands in dust. Why did he just give me this book? And what the hell did he mean I was "their target"? And for that matter, who was "they"?

I lifted my arm up to put it back on the shelf but something stopped me. There had to be a reason he gave me this book. And for all the craziness that was happening, I couldn't help myself fall into curiosity. It wouldn't hurt to read it, just skim through it tonight, and then bring it back tomorrow.

I quickly shove the book into my purse and head to the front of the store where Jody was taking a small bag from Mr. Marson.

"Ready to go?" I asked.

Jody nods happily, patting the plastic bag with enthusiasm. Behind her Mr. Marson was watching me closely. I quickly walk out the shop door, the bell on top jingling softly, as Jody followed behind me.

"You were right about the owner," I say. "He's definitely got a screw loose."

"He's got more than one rattling up there." Jody laughed.

We wandered away from the store, toward the coffee shop that we somehow always ended up at. Charlie's was – as always – busy. But most of the squashy chairs were empty, which Jody and I quickly took. From behind the counter I saw Adam taking orders. He spotted me as we walked in and beamed. I waved back.

Jody and I took a seat near a window, and ordered our drinks from a skinny red head with purple glasses. Jody had her new book in her hands and was already thirty pages in. At this point there was no talking to her.

"Hi, Andrea,"

Adam was standing beside our table with two cups of coffee in his hand. He set them down with a large smile.

"Hi, Adam. How are you?"

Adam beamed. "Great. Well, I mean work sucks, but I'm great. How have you been?"

"Great," I lied.

"Oh good. Shoot, I have to go."

He hurried back to take orders from an impatient blonde. Jody peered over her book with raised eyebrows.

"Who was that?"

"Oh, uh… no one."

"Mhm, no one huh?"

"He just works here."

Jody rolled her eyes and went back to her book. I thought she was done so I picked up my coffee. My mind was drifting back to the black book in my bag. What could be in that book that I needed to read so badly?

"So you going to ask for his number?"

I looked back to Jody who was peeking over her book again. Her eyebrows were raised and she was grinning widely. I rolled my eyes.

"No. It's not like that."

"Mhm, sure, sure."

"It's not!"

"Yeah, okay. So how come he's been looking over here every ten seconds?"

We both look back to the counter. Adam quickly looks away and starts cleaning the counter awkwardly. I look back to Jody who was smirking.

"He's cute."

"Oh shut up, Jody." I laughed. "How the hell did you notice that anyway, I thought you were reading?"

Jody shrugged and raised the book up to cover her face. I picked up a packet of sugar on the table and chucked it at her. She blocked it with her book and laughed.

"Hey don't be mad. I think you should try." She said.

"Try what?"

"To go out with him. He's seems nice."

I raised my eyebrows quizzically.

"Well I'm just saying. You haven't dated in years. You need to get out there again."

"What are you talking about? I go on dates."

"Oh yeah? When was the last time you went on one?"

"The movies with Greg."

"Drea, that was two years ago."

"I… oh yeah." Crap, she had me.

Jody had a large smirk on her face.

"It's not like I can't." I said quickly. "I just don't want to."

"Okay," Jody half laughed.

"You don't believe me!"

She shrugged. "I'm not saying a thing."

I pursed my lips angrily. Okay, she had a point, I hadn't gone out in a while, but who has the time anymore? It wasn't like I wasn't asked.

"You know what, I'll do it." I said. "Just to prove you wrong."

Jody finally put her book down and laughed. "Good. Go. Prove me wrong."

I stood up, turned on my heel and marched toward the counter. As I got closer I suddenly realized what I was doing, and was wondering what was wrong with me. I hardly knew this guy. He could be psycho, and kill me. And then Jack's face flashed through my mind, and a cold chill spread through me. I could feel his freezing grasp around me, his crystal eyes starring me down.

"Andrea? Andrea?"

I blinked and saw Adam standing in front of me. I was already at the counter. His round cheerful face seemed so bizarre from Jack's hard one. It was a welcomed difference. The words were tumbling out of my mouth before I knew what I was doing.

"Would you like to go out sometime?"

Adam looked as shocked as I felt. He smiled and nodded.

"Er, yeah! Sure, yeah that would be great! What time?"

I mentally went through my work schedule. "I'm free Wednesday night. Is that good for you?"

"Yeah, that's perfect." Adam beamed.

I walked back to the table and sat down feeling slightly dazed. Jody was staring at me with wild amusement.

"So! How'd it go?"

I raised my phone. "I got his number. We're going to dinner on Wednesday."

Jody laughed and picked her book back up. "I knew you could."

.

.

I opened my apartment door and flicked on my light hesitantly. I stood in the doorway, scanning everything over. After a minute I walked in slowly. King Henry pranced toward me, his tail wagging. He weaves through my legs and meows.

"Hey King," I saw, picking him up. "Is anyone else here?"

He meows. Good enough for me.

I put him down and throw my bag onto the couch. King jumps up next to me and curls into a ball. I pat his head and sigh. Finally, no Jack.

I reach down into my bag and pull out the ruddy black book I'd gotten today. I slowly opened it and saw the faded words:

_**The Dead Declassified**_

I turned to the next page and began to read.

_Beware! If you are reading this then you are in danger. _

_._

_Ages have our nightmares been haunted with the dark figures of monsters. But a cross of our Lord will not stop these terrors, nigh will the stench of the garlic herb. These daemons roam our beloved land and ravish our women with their cursed claws. A conscience they have not, for they do not possess our gift of humanity, nor guilt. It is this unto you, I – Sir Brighton - bestow my knowledge for the betterment of our kind. Take this heed and bare it well._

.

_The vampyre does not die. Its only foe is the power of the sun and the flame. They emerge at nightfall, ravished and eager to prey on the vulnerable. No man is an exception. The fang of the vampyre retract when they feed on their victims, allowing them to disguise themselves without notice. Yet, take heed key elements of their design that provide us aid to our protection. _

.

.

"Can I have a dry martini?"

"Huh? Oh yeah,"

I dazedly grab a glass and start making the drink. I shove it at the woman at the bar and start day dreaming again. The words of the book were haunting me. I had read the entire thing, and then went back and made notes in the margins. It was all making sense. The cold hands, the quick movement, the fact he somehow was able to get into my apartment even though EVERYTHING was locked. Phrases have been popping into my head all day. Things like:

_The vampyre require the blood of the mortal, for they are eternally cold. Draining the blood of a mortal gives the vampyre temporary warmth, yet they will never be as warm as the human. _

That would explain why he always felt like he had just showered in ice. Or things like:

_Beasts flee from the vamprye. _

King Henry was never around while Jack was. I hadn't noticed it until I read that. In the morning I would find him under my bed, clinging on to the carpet. It was all starting to make sense. But at the same I refused to believe it.

Vampires? There was no way. I mean, I always imagined vampires like Dracula: brooding on some mountain in a creepy castle. Jack was none of those things. He was suave, and beautiful. Completely flawless. The only real way to know for sure was to test it. The book said crosses and garlic don't work. Mirrors show their reflections but if I carried a lighter maybe I could try to burn him.

Wait a minute, what was I saying. This was ridiculous! I'm letting that crazy Mr. Marson get to my head. Jack was just a psycho. And hey! He wasn't in my apartment last night. Maybe he's moved on to stalk someone else.

.

I opened my apartment door to see all my lights on and the rigid figure of Jack on my couch. My heart plummeted. And I had been so hopeful, too. He stood up as I walked in.

"And to think I thought you weren't coming anymore." I said.

"I had other things to attend to last night." He replied.

My heart was beginning to beat faster. There was something different about him. I mean he always looked scary, but tonight he seemed harsher. He wasn't smiling or trying to convince me to do something I didn't want to. He was just standing on the other side of the room, staring at me with stony eyes. I was starting to think I should just turn around and make a run for it.

"So how have you been?"

I cringed at how forced he sounded. He was planning something. But what?

"Fine."

"Do a little light reading, maybe?"

I raised my eyebrows. What was he getting at? Before I could answer he pulled a little black book from behind his back. My heart leaped. He waved it in front of him, and was staring at me harder.

"I found this little book on your shelf. It's quite an interesting read."

He looked at me inquisitively, but I made sure not to show anything. My mouth was getting drier. How did he find it? Did he know?

"What I found even more interesting is that my name is in here. And I thought to myself, this couldn't possibly be a coincidence. So why has my name been written in the margins, with little arrows pointing to words like-"

He flipped open the book.

"'deadly', 'manipulative', or '_vampyre_'."

His eyes snapped up at the last word, and I felt my blood go cold. Oh god, he knew!

He snapped the book shut and started walking forward. In just a few strides he was an inch from me, glaring down with those crazy eyes. I wanted to run but my legs were frozen. He lifted the book up and raised his eyebrows.

"Well?"

"I…I… uh…"

"Say it."

"What the hell are you!" I suddenly blurted out.

Jack threw his head back and laughed. My eyes widened in surprise. That was not the reaction I was expecting. He snapped his head back and pushed the book into my hands. He turned on his heel, and began walking toward the door. A wave of anger suddenly took me. He was _leaving_?! He was going to completely ignore the subject and just _leave_! Oh, I don't think so!

I grabbed the book in my hand and hurled it as hard as I could. It whizzed through the air and collided with the back of Jack's head. He didn't budge. He stopped walking and spun around. His eyes were livid. Crap, maybe that was a mistake.

"I want an answer." I said.

"You won't get one."

"I deserve to know!"

Jack's face relaxed slightly. "Then expect to be disappointed."

He turned around, flung the door open and walked out.

"Wait!" I ran after him but when I reached the door he was gone. The corridor was empty on either side. I groan and slam the door behind me. The ruddy black door was lying on the floor. I picked it up and stared at the cover.

Stupid book.


	6. Garlic Wars

_A/N: I have no excuse for the delay in chapters. So here is an extra long one. Enjoy._

.

.

I leaned against the railing on my porch, watching the setting sun as it hits the treetops, sending warm rays of orange across the streets and reflecting against glass buildings. The twilight hour used to be my favorite part of the day. But ever since a certain person had ambushed his way into my life, it was filled with nothing but dread and anxiety.

I hadn't seen Jack in days. Ever since our "argument" he'd been enjoyably absent, and I wasn't complaining. Yet, even with the Jack-less nights, my anxiety wasn't subsiding. All I could think about was how he wasn't there. Where could he be? Stalking another women? Probably. Moving on and never bothering me again? Unlikely. Any noise at night made me jump. I've been constantly looking over my shoulder, and imagining a figure watching me through the windows. In a small, miniscule, itsy-bitsy way I wanted Jack back. That way, I knew where he was and I wouldn't have to worry about him sneaking back. But _where_ he'd be would be in my apartment, which wasn't what I wanted either.

A loud knock on my door jolted me out of my daydreaming. I clenched my fists nervously, and walked back into my apartment, sliding the porch door behind me. I reached my front door and slowly turned the handle.

"Good evening. You look absolutely beautiful."

I smiled and moved aside as a handsomely dressed Adam came bounding into my apartment with a single rose. He gave me a large hug, and handed me the flower.

"For you."

I took it, and tried to make my grimace into a smile. "Thank you,"

He nods and looked around the apartment as I found a small vase for the rose. The date with Adam – which I'd completely forgotten about until he called to double check what time he should get me – wasn't something I was looking forward to. I hardly knew this guy, and had my fill of weirdo's at the moment. If this guy was a clinger (which he looked like) I might kill him out of desperation.

"You like Karin Rose?" He said, pulling a book from my bookshelf.

"Who?" I asked, walking over to see what he'd found.

He wiggled a book under my nose; a book I had never seen before. A book that made my heart plummet as soon as I read the title.

"I'm Watching You," read Adam. "Sounds like a thriller. Is it any good?"

I opened my mouth soundlessly, but my mind was numb. No one had ever given me that book, and I never bought it. So how it got into my apartment meant only one thing: _Jack_, and his message was clear.

"It's… terrifying." I finally choked out.

Adam turned the book over and began reading the back with a smile, "'I spy with my little eye something ending in _death_.' That's so corny."

I nodded stiffly. My jaw was locked in horror. I could feel my hands shaking uncontrollably, and my eyes were continually darting to my door and all my windows. Would he kill me if Adam was here? He probably wouldn't have any reservations against it. But then again, maybe it wouldn't be as fun if I wasn't alone. He couldn't torture me, or smell me like I was some slab of steak he was ready to stick his fangs in…

"What's the matter? You're all white."

I snapped out of it and looked up at Adam who was watching me with a worried expression.

"Oh yeah," I said, shaking my head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just zoned out for a second."

"Okay, well let's hit the road. Don't want to miss our reservation."

I forced a smile I'm sure looked painfully fake, and grabbed my coat off the couch. Adam headed out of the apartment first. I chanced a final glance at my apartment as the door shut and felt the eyes of a hidden face burning my skin.

.

.

"Would you like more wine?"

"Yes, thank you," said Adam, and the waiter filled up both our glasses.

The restaurant Adam had chosen was a small hole-in-the-wall in Brooklyn, but it was nice and simple. I kept chewing on my lip nervously, as I continually looked around at other men in the restaurant. Not one of them had piercing blue eyes, dark hair, and a stare that could make me freeze.

"So Andrea," Adam said casually. "You work in a bar right?"

"Yeah,"

"How do you like it?"

I thought about it while I took a sip of wine. How could I explain dealing with lonely men drinking at a bar every night and the pressures of staying under the radar?

"Well, it's interesting," I finally sighed.

"So let me ask you, because I've been trying to figure this out. How are you a bartender? You're nineteen, right?"

I smiled, and took a bigger sip of wine. I was afraid he'd put the two together. "Yeah, I'm underage."

"So?"

I set my glass down, and looked at him seriously. "The owner, despite all her faults, did me a favor with that job. I needed money, and she took me in, even though I'm underage. We keep it hush-hush, and I have a fake I.D. for when people start asking questions." I grinned at this, and began drinking more wine.

Adam watched me carefully, clearly unsure whether to believe this.

"What?"

"You don't act nineteen."

I opened my eyes in surprise. I wasn't expecting to hear that, so I looked away uncomfortably and fiddled with the edge of my napkin, hoping he'll catch the hint and drop it.

"So," he said awkwardly.

I looked up and gave a halfhearted smile. The waiter conveniently walked up with a large tray, and placed our orders on the table. Perfect timing. I quickly grabbed my fork and dug into the chicken I'd ordered. Adam was silently cutting up his food. I shoved a large piece of chicken in my mouth and made sure to chew slowly, so I had an excuse not to talk. Adam just kept fiddling with his anti-pasta and looking incredibly put out.

_Aaand there's the guilt. _

I forced down the large bite of chicken, choking slightly, and quickly tried to think of something interesting to say.

"So you, err, like working at a coffee house?" I said stupidly.

Of course he didn't. But Adam grinned at my attempt of conversation, and nods.

"Sure. I mean, I don't want to work there my whole life, but it's fun. Plus it gives me the opportunity to meet some great people."

At this he winked at me. I tried not to grimace at his sad attempt of flirting, so I just took another sip of wine.

"More wine, miss?"

"Wha-? Oh," I looked up to the waiter, who was holding a bottle of wine expectantly.

I glanced at my wine glass and saw it was empty. How did that happen? I lifted it to allow the waiter to fill it up, finally realizing the comforting numbness four glasses of wine gives you. I sipped the wine once the waiter left, watching Adam over the top of the glass. Even though he was incredibly obvious with the flirting, I had to give it to him. He was a nice guy.

"So you like living in New York?" He asked.

I shrugged. "It's home."

He laughed and nods. "Good answer. Yeah, I used to live in a small town in Kansas, and decided to move here to find my fortune. But we all know how that has worked out." He laughed again, and continues to launch into his life story, too absorbed to realize I've completely tuned him out.

My eyes were skirting around the restaurant again, nervously studying any man there. Was I really being paranoid? Would Jack follow me here?

"… so then my mother told me to move back home, but I told her the first few years will never be easy in a big city like New York. So she tells me…"

I looked at my watch nervously. It was 7:40. Jack didn't normally show until I got off of work around two in the morning, so maybe I still had time. If I could get to a store before it closes I could buy several pounds of garlic and then nail it to my front door…

"Andrea? Are you even listening?"

"Of course," I lied, snapping out of it. "It really sucks about… all that."

"Yeah, it does, but I think I have a handle on it."

I sighed inwardly. How Adam didn't realize I had no idea what he was talking about was beyond me. He motioned to a waiter for the check and began talking about his childhood pet. I nodded at appropriate times, desperately wanting the waiter to hurry so I could get the hell out.

.

.

.

Shifting the bags around my arms so I can unlock my apartment door, I walk in, and flick on the lights. Good sign. I threw my purse onto the couch, and walked into my bedroom, carrying the grocery bags with me. I had managed to make it before the store closed, to buy several cloves of garlic, and another pepper spray. I was hopeful my lucky streak would continue and that it would be another Jack-less night, but it didn't hurt to be safe. I flipped my shoes off, and walked out into the living room to look for King.

"Have a good evening?"

My heart plummeted at the sound of that familiarly velvet voice. I slowly turned around to see Jack sitting on my couch, arms folded with a nasty look in his eyes. He stands up slowly, and advances. His eyes never blinking as he comes closer.

"W-what do you want?" I whispered.

Jack said nothing, but stared down at me with those cold blue eyes. I could feel my bones trembling at how close we are. I tried to force myself to take a step back, but as always, my muscles were frozen with fear. He reached out with his slender hands, and cupped my face. His cold skin sent chills through me, as he tipped my head up to his. His eyes were harder than I'd ever seen them. There were no chances of escape this time. He wasn't planning on coming back. This was it.

"Please," I said, now hearing the fear in my voice. "D-don't,"

Jack was lowering his head, his grip on my head tightening so much I felt like he might crack my skull. His lips pressed against my neck. I held my breath, waiting for the pain of teeth into my skin, but it didn't come. Jack removed his lips and placed them higher on my neck, and again. His touch became softer and his hands on my head began to cradle me. And with a pang of horror I realized what he was doing.

He's KISSING ME!

I slammed my hands into his chest and pushed myself away, staring at him with disgust. Was he _crazy!_

"What's wrong?"

"'What's wrong?' You're asking me what's wrong? You were just kissing my neck, are you insane!"

Jack continued to stand with a blank expression, as if what he just did happened on a regular basis. But I had had it.

"Get out. Get _out_! I'm sick of you coming in here, terrorizing me, _and_ my cat, and acting like it's not normal. You're insane!"

"No."

"What do you mean, 'no'? You can't just say 'no'. Why won't you leave me alone?"

I reached for the closest thing and hurled it at him. He dodged easily, and continued to stand with a sad look on his face, as if he pitied _me_! Oh HELL no.

I started grabbing all the books on the coffee table and throwing them at him. He kept dodging with ease, each time shaking his head sadly.

"Go!" I hurled a book. "Away!" I chucked a thick one.

"You need to calm down." Jack snapped, ducking as an encyclopedia went flying past him and colliding against the wall.

I turned on my heels and marched into my room, determined that this time would be the last I'd ever see him. I grabbed the bags off my bed and came marching back into the living room.

"What's that?" Jack asked, eyeing the bags in my arms suspiciously.

I reached into the bag, pulled out some garlic and begin pelting them at Jack. He quickly grabbed a pillow and ducked behind it. I kept hurling the garlic cloves at Jack, hoping that one of them will hit and make him melt, explode, or however vampires died.

Jack peered around the pillow and shook his head in disgust.

"What are you throw-?"

His mouth dropped when he saw the garlic scattered on the floor.

"Garlic? You're throwing _garlic_ at me?"

"Shut up, and die already!" I screamed, throwing several big ones directly at his face.

Jack ducked then looked back around the pillow again.

"What is _wrong_ with you?"

"I want you to leave me alone! I'm so sick of thinking you are going to kill me, all the time. I haven't slept right in a week!"

"What are you talking about?" He tried to take a step forward, but was forced to grab a second pillow when I started throwing more garlic.

"Either own up to your threats or go away!"

"If you're so convinced I'm going to kill you, why don't you call the police, instead of chucking God damn _garlic_ at me!"

"Oh sure, that would be a believable call. 'Excuse me, can I have the polices' help? I have a vampire trying to kill me'. I'm so sure."

I pulled my arm back to start throwing garlic again, but Jack's face stopped me. He wasn't laughing, or angry. He looked surprised.

"What do you think I am?" he whispered.

He was slowly dropping his pillows, and standing up straighter, as his crest fallen face stared at me.

"You heard me." I said, with a lot less force than I'd wanted.

"You think I'm a _vampire_?"

He said the last word so softly, I almost thought I'd imagined it. Why did he look so shocked? He knew what he was, and I knew what he was. So what was the issue?

"Don't give me that look." I said.

Jack had thrown down the pillows but wasn't trying to come any closer. He just stayed there, with a weird comprehension on his face.

"How long have you known?"

My mouth dropped. "Wait," I whispered. "You're…you're admitting it?"

Jack didn't reply but took a step forward. I gripped the garlic in my hand, and swung back my arm threateningly.

"Say it." I said firmly. "Admit it."

Jack furrowed his eyes and shook his head. "No,"

"Then get out."

"No."

I chucked the garlic and hit him squarely in the chest. He brushed his shirt off casually, and took another step forward.

"Have you gotten that out of your system, now?"

"Hell no," I snapped.

I jammed my hand back into the bag and drew out another clove. "Admit it, or this time I'll hit skin."

"Andrea, can you put down the garlic so we can talk like rational people."

"Rational? I stopped being rational the day I met you."

I pelted him again with the garlic, and hit him directly on the forehead.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Alright, that's it."

I plunged my hand into the bag but it was no use. Jack was right there, yanking the bag of garlic out of my hand and throwing it across the room. He gripped my arms and threw me over his shoulders.

"PUT ME DOWN!"

"No. Stop yelling."

"PUT ME DOWN DAMNIT!"

Jack tossed me onto the couch and threw a slender finger in my face, his cold eyes staring into mine furiously.

"Stop yelling and listen." he snapped.

I froze.

"Now you listen to me. I don't know how you know, or what you know, but throwing _garlic_ isn't going to give you answers. This," he picked up a clove and shook it in my face. " – isn't going to kill anyone. Understand?"

I nodded.

"Good." He threw the garlic over his shoulder, and sat down next to me. "Now, _rationally_, tell me what you think."

The fact that I had just been lectured didn't seem to sink in. But the fact that someone believed me – even if it was the person that was causing my hysteria – wanted to listen to what I had to say, was enough. I quickly launched into all my theories about him; from the book that weird man had given me, to the way he only appeared at night. He sat quietly, listening to everything I had to say, and never reacting. When I'd finished, I let out a huge sigh of relief and fell back onto a pillow.

"Well," he said softly. "You are observant. Clearly I should have killed you when I'd intended to."

"_W-what_?"

"You were right that I had planned on doing what I'd done to your neighbor on that night we met."

"B-but," my mouth felt like cotton. "But you still haven't."

"Clearly."

"I'm not understanding."

Jack shrugged and grinned. And like always, it melted me.

"Would you believe me if I said I found you too attractive?"

"What."

"I followed you home because I thought you were beautiful."

For what seemed like the twentieth time, my mouth fell open. That was, by far, the most bizarre compliment I'd even received.

"You didn't kill me, because you _liked_ me?"

"Like," he corrected.

"Excuse me?"

"I haven't killed you, because I _like_ you. Present tense, not past."

"I understand the grammar." I snapped. "You can't be serious."

"Why not?"

"What do you mean, 'why not'? Can we go back to the part where you're a vampire?"

"I never said I was."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I said I meant to kill you. I never said I was a vampire."

"But you _are_."

"You can't deny that there is chemistry."

"What are you basing that on?"

Jack just smiled again. He made to stand up, but I threw my arm out.

"Wait,"

He looked over, still smiling, and cocked an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"You're not leaving, are you?"

"I think so."

"But you haven't answered any of my questions."

"There will be another time for that." He stood up and began walking to the door.

"Jack, wait." I stood up, but he kept walking. "You're going to leave? Just like that?"

He turned with his hand on the doorknob, and smiled. "It's no fun if I can't keep you guessing."

And with that he walked out, the door closing behind him with a soft click.


	7. Mr Rigby

A/n:Please read the important notice at the end up the chapter. Enjoy.

.

.

I woke up the next morning with an odd anticipation of excitement in my chest. Jack's face was still buzzing around my mind, and even with a full night sleep, I couldn't stop thinking about the previous night. He was so close to admitting what he was, and I was determined to get it out of him. I rolled over to the alarm clock next to my bed, and saw a small letter standing upright, with "Andrea" written in flowing script. I quickly snatched the letter, and flipped it open. The inside was written in the same handwriting.

_Andrea,_

_I am sure you are still upset at the lack of answers I gave you last night. Therefore, I have a proposition for you. If you will accompany me to a restaurant, I will answer all questions you have, in full, to your contentment. I will only answer your questions at the restaurant of my choice. Leave your answer with my employee. _

_You dedicated suitor, _

_Jack_

I reread the letter several times, wondering what he meant by his "employee" as if I was at his office. On queue there was a knock on my front door. I got up quickly, throwing on a pair of sweat pants, and walked over to the front door. I peered into the peephole, to see a young man with a mess of black hair standing in what looked like a hotel uniform. I opened the door slowly, and peaked out.

"Ms. Carrow?" he said, in a firm voice.

I nodded.

"What is your answer?"

I looked at him quizzically, and he gazed back at me like I was an idiot. "What answer?"

"For my employer, Jack. He would like to know what your answer is to his proposal."

The young man was smiling now, as if he knew something that I didn't. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"What are you smiling at?" I whispered. "And how are you out in the day time?"

He shook his head. "I'm not a night walker. I'm just his helper."

_So it was true! Hah!_ I flung the door open, and yanked the guy inside. He clearly hadn't expected this, because he stumbled in, clinging onto his hat. I shut the door behind him as he tried to gather himself into the phony "stoic" look that Jack mastered so well.

"What do you know?" I said quickly.

"I-?"

"About Jack. What do you know about him?"

Again, a smile appeared on his face. "I am not allowed to say anything." He said. "But if you agree to go, he will answer your questions."

I waved my hand to shut him up. "I want to know how he keeps getting into my apartment."

"That, I don't know, ma'am."

"Don't call me that." I said. "You're practically my age."

"Maybe." He watched me carefully as I glared at him. "I can tell you, that he seems really… taken by you. He hasn't spoken about another girl like this before. Usually he just sees them for a few hours, and then they leave and…"

He stopped when he caught the look on my face.

"Um, I mean, not that he has a lot of girls at his place. Just the occasional –,"

"Good to know," I said dully. I reached for the door to shove him back in the hall.

"Wait, I need to know your answer."

"Yeah, no, thanks. He can take one of his other girls to dinner. And please tell him to stop coming over here."

"No, it's not like that. He doesn't like any of them. You know, it's purely sexual."

_WHAM._

I slammed the door in his face, and stalked back to the bedroom where I'd left the letter. I grabbed it and began ripping it up into hundreds of pieces. How could I have been so stupid? I threw the pieces of letter into the garbage and threw my hands in the air in disgust. _It's purely sexual_. The image of Jack sitting around with several women all dressed in lace and garters, touching him and giggling, came bursting into my head. I could feel my ears begin to burn at the thought of some floozy sitting on his lap, as he leans over to kiss her neck as he did to me, and cradle her in his arms.

Was it true, I thought with a pang of dread? Did he really have women over all the time to - my cheeks got hot at the idea - _pleasure_ him? I didn't even want to imagine him that close to another girl, but my imagination couldn't help it. The proper, mysterious Jack I knew letting his guard down in a dark bedroom, hands groping bare skin…

I shook my head and tried to clear my thoughts, but the feeling lingered. I didn't know why I felt hurt. I shouldn't. There was no reason to. Jack was an insane monster who kept breaking into my apartment, who had no self-restraint or idea of personal space. Why would I be upset because he was with other women? It's not like I'd expected to be the only girl he'd be pursuing.

_Knock, knock, knock._

I hesitantly walked over to the door, and peered through the peephole again. The guy was back.

"What do you want?" I called through the door.

He lifted up a cell phone, and called back, "He wants to talk."

My heart jumped somewhere up to my throat. _He_ was on the phone? Now? I opened the door, and took the phone with shaking hands. The guy stood silent, looking incredibly putout.

"Hello?" I said quietly into the receiver.

"Good morning, Andrea."

My chest constricted at the sound of his voice. "Hi, Jack."

"I understand you've refused my proposal due to my employee's inability to know when to stop talking."

"Yeah, you could say that." My heart was sinking lower, and lower. How quickly I'd forgotten why I'd been upset, just by the sound of his voice.

"I want to apologize for what ever he made you believe, and I promise you it is not true."

"Really?" I said skeptically. "Because it sounds believable."

"I know you won't trust me, but please, don't let this ruin tonight."

"I don't know. You sure you can squeeze me in your plans with all the girls you have over? I wouldn't want to interrupt your routine."

"There are no others I'm calling on, Andrea. Just you."

"'Calling on'? Please, I'm not so stupid to think guys don't sleep around when their single."

"Andrea, my employee's an idiot. He wouldn't understand sex if it happened in front of him. I promise you, it isn't that. Will you please be ready when I arrive to get you? Wear something nice."

I sighed, looking at Jack's helper who was staring around the hallway in disgust. "Alright, I'll come."

"I'll be there at 9."

He hung up. I handed the phone back to the guy, who looked over to me and smiled. A smile that had a mischievous gleam. He took the phone, bowed, and began stalking off.

"Wait," I called, as comprehension dawned on me.

He turned around, eyebrows cocked. "Yes, Ms. Carrow?"

"How are you related to him?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but smiled nonetheless. "His nephew."

He bowed again, and began walking away. I slowly shut the door behind me, thinking of where Jack might have been when he called. Did they really sleep in a coffin?

I made a mental note to ask him that at dinner, then realized with a pang of horror I had nothing to wear.

.

.

I stood in the mirror, smoothing out my dress. This would be the second date I'd been on in a week, and I was severely unprepared in the wardrobe department. I settled for a silk white dress with a sweeping neckline, and a long slit up the side that showed more leg than I was used to. Jody had given me this as a "Get-Laid-Already" present, but I'd never worn it. I figured now was as good as time then any to break it in.

I continually paced around the apartment, twirling my hair nervously as I watched the clock tick closer_. 7:45. 8:15._I fixed my makeup for the third time._ 8:40. 8:55._ I put on a pair of heels. _9:00._

I tried sitting down but was too nervous, so I got back up and continued pacing. Questions I was burning to ask were rushing around my head. Would he actually answer them truthfully? Or would he find a way to lead the conversation in another direction, like he always did?

There was a soft knock on the door that made me jump. I tried to smooth my self down, as I walked up to the door. _Act cool_,I told myself. _Don't freak so much._

I opened the door and immediately felt my stomach erupt with butterflies. Jack stood with a single rose, his gorgeous blue eyes twinkling down at me. I smiled nervously, and stepped aside to let him in, realizing as I did so, this was the first time I was willingly letting him in my apartment. Jack looked me up and down, and his smile grew.

"You look _exquisite_." He handed me the rose, which I took with shaking hands.

He reached out for the other one, leaned down, and kissed it gently. I tried hard not to let him see the smile that was burning to come out.

"You look," I looked at him, and as always, was amazed. "Handsome." He was dressed in black dress pants, a white shirt with a thin black tie, and a black blazer he'd left unbuttoned. He was undeniably gorgeous in the way that looked like he put no effort into trying to be.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Sure, yeah, let me just get my coat." I hurried into my bedroom, using this planned excuse to double check myself in the mirror. All clear.

I walked back out as calmly as I could. I tried not to look too eager to get going, but Jack didn't seem to notice, so we walked silently out of the building. I wanted so badly to start bombarding him with questions. I'd thought for hours of what I should ask, and decided I wouldn't be picky. I'd ask everything. But I knew Jack wouldn't answer a thing until we'd reached the restaurant.

"In here," Jack said, as we walked outside.

He gestured to a black town car that was parked in front of the building with windows so dark I could see my reflection perfectly. Jack opened one of the back doors, and looked at me expectantly. In the back of my mind, I realized that I was willingly getting into a car that's windows were so tinted you could commit murder without anyone realizing, with a psycho stalker, was probably a stupid thing to do. I looked up to Jack, to say I'd prefer to walk it, but when I did he smiled, and I could feel my knees melt. I slid into the car without another thought.

Jack followed, shutting the door behind him. The car lurched forward, and began winding through the usual traffic. I debated whether I wanted to ask who was driving, but decided I probably didn't want to know, so looked out of the window, and watched the buildings pass.

"You're not curious where I'm taking us?" Jack asked.

"I am," I said as I continued to stare out of the window. "But I figured if I asked, you wouldn't have told me, so I'm not going to bother."

Jack didn't say anything, but I didn't need to look to know he was smiling.

We reached the restaurant after almost twenty minutes. The car stopped in front a glass building brightly lit with warm yellow lights. The door opened, and Jack stepped out. I took his hand as I stepped out, and saw myself staring into the face of the guy who'd knocked on my door that morning. He winked as he shut the door behind me. Jack rolled his eyes, and pushed him towards the driver's side.

"Have a nice night," he laughed.

"We'll be done in three hours, Kevin." Jack said. "Don't be late."

Kevin nodded with a grin, and disappeared into the car. Jack looped his arm with mine, and began steering me away from the car. I looked up to him with a grin.

"Kevin's a pretty nice guy." I said with a smile. "He seems eager to help."

Jack nodded. "He tries."

"Do you pay him, or does he help you as a favor for being family?"

Jack looked at me quizzically, then realized what I meant and shook his head in disgust. "He told you."

"Kind of. I figured it out."

"Unbelievable. Do you have to figure everything out, or can you not leave some things up to mystery?"

"You're still a mystery."

Jack grinned and pulled my arm a little closer to him. We reached the host, who just nodded his head to Jack and began pulling menus from behind his podium. "You're table is waiting, sir."

Jack gave him a curt nod, and pulled me further into the restaurant. It was obvious from the revolving glass doors in the front, that this restaurant wasn't easy to get reservations at. The mass of people waiting in the lobby glared as we passed them. Jack led me through rows of silk covered tables filled with people dressed to the nines and speaking in whispers. We weaved past the main room, into what at first I thought would be for employees only. But when Jack pulled the curtain back, it revealed a lone table sitting next to a wall of windows that reached the ceiling. Candles were lit in every corner, and on the table; a bottle of wine was already waiting in a pail of ice.

I slipped my arm out of Jack's grasp and walked over to the window. The view was gorgeous. I turned back to see him standing at the doorway.

"Jack, this place is amazing. This must cost a lot."

"Don't worry about the price." He said, as he walked forward. "The goal of tonight is to enjoy each others company."

He pulled a chair out and smiled. My heart felt like it was swelling to five times its normal size.

"So," said Jack, taking a seat after he'd pushed mine in. "I know you're itching to ask, so, ask. What do you want to know?"

He reached over to the wine and began to pull out the cork. I watched silently, as I wondered what it was I wanted to know. I should have made a list.

"Alright," I said slowly. "What's your last name?"

Jack turned to me with a look of surprise, before popping the cork out. "That's your first question?"

"Yeah. I want to know your full name, not just your first."

"It's Rigby."

"Rigby?" I laughed.

"Yes." He said, with a slight tone of annoyance.

"I'm sorry," I said as I tried to suppress my laughter. "I was just expecting something more impressive."

"Well it's not. It's Rigby. A perfectly respectable name for a respectable British man."

Jack began pouring the wine into our glasses, and ignored me as I tried to stiffen my laughter.

"Okay I have another question." I said, after I'd gotten over the idea that this enigma of a man in front of me was cursed with such a common name as Jack Rigby. Jack continued to ignore me, so I just continued. "What are you?"

He looked up from pouring the wine in our glasses with a look that clearly said _I knew this was coming_.

"I'm a lover, not a fighter. Some might call me an artist, but I think I prefer visionary –" He paused, and smiled, watching my expectant face fall when I realized he wasn't taking this seriously. "I'm a vampire."

The words sounded stranger than I'd imagined and seemed to reverberate through the room. He placed a glass in front of me, then took a sip out of his. The clinking sounds of silverware and soft conversations drifted into our room, as if to mock our situation with something as normal as a date.

"Why don't you have any fangs?"

"I do. But they're only noticeable when I'm eating."

"So they're like claws? You can retract them?"

"Think of them more as a muscle. If I flex, they get bigger."

"Can you eat people food?"

"I'm a person, aren't I?"

"Well, yeah, but, you're not. Not really."

"Just because you can eat sugar doesn't mean you should for every meal. 'People food' won't keep me healthy. If I tried, I'd look like some vegan, whose hair is falling out because they aren't nutritionally balanced."

A waiter came into our room, and bowed. I quickly looked at the menu, realizing I hadn't decided that I wanted.

"What can I get you, ma'am?"

"Er, number five, please."

The waiter scribbled it down on a notebook, took our menus, and walked out.

"You didn't order anything." I said.

"He knows what I want." Jack reached for his glass, then gestured towards mine to say I should drink, too.

"I'm not drinking as much this time." I said. "Don't think you can trick me with the wine again."

"And I was so hopeful you'd be easy tonight."

I grinned.

Jack answered all my questions without hesitation or complaint. As soon as he answered one question, I was ready with another. He was killed when he was twenty-four, while he was traveling from France to England. He didn't have a British accent because he's spent all of his life after death in the states, which he claimed was over twice the time he'd lived in England. His favorite animal is a falcon, which apparently his father owned when they went hunting in the summer. He lives somewhere near central park (he wouldn't give me the exact address), and he got into my apartment by –

"You what?"

Jack shoved his hand into his pocket, and pulled out a single key. I stared at it in amazement.

"You made a copy of my key?"

"Yes. I don't understand why you're so surprised by this. How else would I have been getting in?"

"I don't know, magic? How did you even get a hold of my keys to make a copy of it in the first place?"

"The night after we met I followed you as you went to work. I grabbed your keys from your purse, made a copy, and waited for you to get home so I could give them back."

I thought back onto the second night he came bursting into my nightly routine. He did have my keys, but I'd assumed he picked them up when I dropped them. Never did I imagine he'd stolen them, made a copy, and gave them back as if he was a gentleman returning a lost item.

"Give it back," I said, sticking my hand out.

"Not a chance," said Jack, pocketing the key.

"You can't keep it. Give it back."

"Why would I? You'd never let me in without it."

"_Exactly._"

"Well, then. I'm definitely not giving it back."

"You know, in most relationships, it's a privilege to get the other persons house key. Not steal it like a … what? What are you smiling at?"

Jack was grinning from ear to ear, leaning forward as if eager to hear what I was going to say. I looked around, as if I was missing something. No one else was there.

"What?"

"You just said we're in a relationship."

"What? No I didn't."

"Yes, you said, 'in most relationships', which would mean not in this one."

"That's not what I meant."

"Freudian slip?"

His smile was still widening, and I could feel my cheeks growing hot. Us, in a relationship? Was that even possible without me ending up as a meal? I opened my mouth to say no, but Jack cut me off.

"Don't worry. I know you didn't mean it."

He reached out and touched my hand resting on the table. His cold touch sent a thrill of shivers through my body. I pulled my hand away, and tried to look anywhere but into his perfect face. He wasn't taking his eyes off me, not matter how long I refused to look at him. My face was growing hotter the longer he stared, and I knew he could see it.

"Your pork chops, ma'am."

The waiter had returned, with a large plate of overly decorated pork. He placed it in front of me, then placed a steaming mug in front of Jack. Without another word he left.

I stared down at the pork chops, covered in a mysterious orange glaze and covered in fanning greens. It looked delicious, but my stomach was still churning from Jack's touch. I chanced a glance up at Jack to see him taking a long drink out of the mug. He caught my eye and winked. I quickly looked back down at the pork, and began cutting it up. Jack didn't say a thing as we ate, which was perfectly fine with me because I was out of things to ask. All I could think about was the gleam in Jack's eyes when he said "relationship", or how wonderful it felt for that brief second to be holding his hand.

Jack drained the last of the mug and settled to watching me eat. I tried ignoring it, but his piercing gaze was making me nervous.

"Am I really that entertaining?" I finally asked.

"It's the Andrea Show." He grinned. "Yes, you really are."

I put my fork down, and leaned back in my chair. We stared at each other for several moments, both pair of eyes desperately drinking in all they could to remember small details of the other. I leaned forward slightly, trying to get closer to that face that was like a tantalizing enigma. What was going on behind those eyes? Did he feel the uncontrollable pounding in his chest when we touched? Did he want to know every thought that ran through my mind like I desperately wanted to know about his?

Jack leaned forward too, so our faces were just a foot apart. I could smell his cologne. It filled me up with such a wonderful feeling, I felt like I might lift off the floor and glide through a window. One of his hands was sliding towards mine, and nudged one of my fingers.

"Favorite song?" I said, feebly hoping to distract him with some thing else other than myself.

"Single Petal of a Rose, by Duke Ellington."

"Shirt size."

"Medium."

He reached over and firmly took my hand in his. I felt like my whole body was bursting with butterflies.

"How tall are you?"

"6 feet, one inches."

He was starting to lean closer.

"Favorite ice cream flavor?"

"Coffee."

He was leaning even closer. I had to think of something fast to distract him. Anything! I was letting this stupid date go too far.

"How… um…"

He was way too close. I could practically feel his anticipation, wanting me to lean in the rest of the way.

"How…many women have you slept with?"

I said this so quickly, even I was surprised I said it. Jack pulled back immediately, and looked at with narrowed eyes.

"You don't really want to know that."

He was right, of course. I didn't. But I also didn't want this dinner to get as carried away as it was. I needed to keep reminding myself this wasn't a normal person. He didn't follow the same rules as regular people.

"I do." I lied.

Jack let go of my hand, and leaned back in his chair. He was watching me carefully, as if he was trying to read my mind. I continued staring back, trying desperately not to give it away that I didn't want to know.

"Ninety three."

My mouth dropped open.

"That's not many considering how old I am."

"Ninety three?" I said in disgust. "You've been with _ninety three_ women?"

"What were you expecting, zero? I'm over two centuries old, Andrea. That's not that many."

I threw my napkin on the table, and stood up. "I'm going home."

"What? No, don't - " Jack tried to stand up quickly, but the chair snagged on the carpet. He tried to steady himself, but I didn't wait, I was already marching out.

I couldn't believe it. Ninety-three girls. Even if I'd actually wanted to know, I wasn't expecting that. Clearly, Kevin was right. He didn't keep it in his pants, and I had no plans on being ninety-four.

I burst out of the restaurant, and tore down the sidewalk.

"Andrea! Hey, wait, do you not need a ride?" Kevin was trying to wave me down, but I ignored him, and started walking faster.

"Over there, she went that way."

I looked over my shoulder to see Kevin pointing, and Jack hurrying out of the revolving doors. I started walking even faster, but I knew it was no use. He'd seen me, and there was no point trying to outrun him. In a matter of seconds Jack had me gripped in his arms, and was swinging me around to face him.

"Let me go."

"Absolutely not. You need to understand before you go storming off."

"I don't need to understand anything else." I tried squirming out of his grasp, but he held on tighter.

"You _do_ need to understand, Andrea. Please."

"Clearly, Kevin did know what he was talking out." I snapped. "Ninety three women. And you almost fooled me into thinking you were nice."

People walking past us were now starting to notice. I could hear them muttering under their breath as they walked by, and one woman said something about abuse.

"Andrea, that's not even one a year. Please think. I know it sounds like a lot, but you've got to put it into context."

I stopped squirming and looked up. Jack was staring at me with sincere concern. For the first time he didn't look completely put together, and it made it feel a little better. All the anger, fear, and nervousness from the day felt like it was boiling at its limit, and if anything else happened I'd explode. I looked at my feet, desperately trying to pull myself together.

Without realizing it, Jack began steering me towards the car. Kevin was there with the door already open. We got in, and the car began to drive. I wasn't looking at Jack. I really wasn't looking anywhere. I was desperately trying to put together all the things that happened today, and how I should deal with them. Jack remained quiet as we drove. He didn't try to touch me, or explain himself. He simply waited.

After what seemed like hours, I finally turned toward him. He was watching me with an unreadable expression.

"I realize," I said slowly. "That ninety three, in context, isn't a lot. However, for people who don't even live to their first century, that's a fucking lot. So, you'll excuse me, if I think this is the end of our dates."

Jack shook his head. "I'm not going to give up."

"I'm changing the locks."

The car began to slow down. I reached for the door handle, but Jack reached out and took my hand. I looked back and sighed.

"Let me walk you up."

I didn't respond. I just walked out of the car and started toward my building. Jack must have taken that as a yes, because he got out of the car, and hurried along side me, staying quiet as we walked to my floor. I reached into my purse, and pulled out my keys.

"Andrea," he said. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a brass key and handed it to me. "So you won't have to bother with changing your locks."

I took the key, and looked up at him in surprise. "Thank you."

"I want to see you more." he said quickly, as if he was afraid I'd walk away before he said everything he wanted to. "The next time that I come, will you let me in?"

I watched him carefully, but he gave me no help. His face was unreadable, and as much as I felt continuing this strange friendship would be bad, every part of me wanted to say yes.

"Maybe," I said.

"Good enough." He reached out and took one of my hands, and kissed it gently. "Goodnight."

"Night," I shoved my key into the lock, and walked into my apartment, as Jack turned down the hallway. I didn't bother checking to make sure he'd really left. The anxiety Jack brought on was finally subsiding, as I clutched the small key in my hand.

.

.

**A/N: Can't wait for more? Then check out my Facebook page for updates on chapters, characters, and an awesome way to tell me what you think! Avila Naislin on Facebook.**


	8. Movie Night

"I'm not going."

"Oh come _on_. It's going to be a lot of fun."

"Absolutely not. Especially not in _that._"

Jody shook her head in disgust. The outfit she was waving under my nose – if you could call it an outfit – was comprised of a lot of lace and spandex.

"Just put it on, and you'll realize you'll want to go."

"_No_."

"She's a lost cause," said Angela, a tall, skeletal girl who wore more makeup than was socially acceptable. She pursed her dark red lips, and shook her head. "Let's find someone else."

"No," Jody said firmly. "'Drea, you're going. End of discussion. We need a third musketeer, and you fit into the costume."

Jody shoved the costume into my arms, and pushed me toward the bathroom. "Try it on!"

Three minutes later I was walking out in an outfit that looked like it was sized for a child.

"I don't think this is my size."

Jody ignored me and grinned. "Nope, you look perfect."

Behind her, Angela nodded in agreement. I turned toward the mirror in her living room and cringed. I had on a skin tight bustiay, with a dark green skirt that barely covered my back side.

"We're going to win that costume contest!" Angela said excitedly.

"We better," I mutter under my breath, but neither heard me.

They were putting their identical outfits up to their chests, and imagining us dressed as the three musketeers.

.

.

There was a knock at my door as I was shoving my new Halloween costume into my closet. I gave it one last look of disgust before walking out to answer it. I peered through the peephole to see a warped Jack standing with a brown bag. I unlocked the chains on my door, and opened it slowly.

"Hi,"

Jack grinned. "Hi. I brought something for you." He lifted up the bag in his hand and rattled what ever was in it.

I stepped aside to let him in, staring at the bag in his hand suspiciously. Jack strolled in happily, looking around the apartment as if it was the first time he'd ever seen it. He set the bag onto my kitchen table, and began rifling through it. He pulled out a bottle of wine, some cheese, crackers, and some dvds. I walked over, and picked up one of the movies.

"What is all this?" I asked.

Jack crumpled the bag and tossed it easily into my garbage can at the other side of the room. "This," he said, pointing to the wine. " – is to make up for drinking your wine a few weeks ago. The crackers are for the brie that I was hoping we could break into while we watch a movie. I brought a couple, because I wasn't sure what you liked."

I shook my head it amazement. Jack was already in the kitchen, trying to find a cork screw.

"Why?" It was the only thing I could think of.

I hadn't forgotten about the last time we'd had a heart to heart. The end of that night left a bad taste in my mouth I wasn't planning on forgetting. He couldn't butter me up so easily.

"I told you, I'm not going to give up just because we have a few disagreements." He handed me a glass of wine, and winked. "Which movie do you like?"

I looked down to see my options were "The Goonies", "Adventures of Robin Hood", and "Oliver Twist". Jack leaned over apprehensively.

"I'm sorry, those are the only movies I own. I can go purchase one if you'd prefer."

"These are all my favorite movies." I said slowly. "How did you – ?"

"Luck," he said with a wink. "So which do you want to watch?"

I sighed and looked down at the movies, back up at him, then back down at the movies. Did I really want to have a movie night with this _thing_? This, for lack of a better word, man-whore? I looked back up, and saw he gorgeous blue eyes, and felt my heart melt.

"Robin Hood," I said.

Jack snatched it out of my hand and walked over to my DVD player and put it in. I took the glass of wine Jack had set on the table and walked over to the couch, intentionally sitting at one end. Hopefully he'd get the hint that just because we were doing this, didn't mean that I'd want to be near him. Once he got the DVD player working, Jack stepped back to the couch and sat right in the middle.

I looked over and glared. "You want to scoot over?"

"No."

He leaned back with a little smile and took a sip of his wine as the previews began playing.

"There's the whole couch to sit on plus the arm chair, you don't need to sit this close to me." I said. I wasn't giving up that easy.

"Relax," he said, putting an arm around me and patting softly.

I felt like my whole body had gone into hysterics. My heart started beating fast, and my breath was gone. I clenched the hand not holding the wine glass into a fist. He had his arm around me! Like this was a date!

I slowly looked over, and saw him watching the movie, completely unaware that what he did was affecting me so badly. I wanted to scream and throw him out, and at the same time, there was a grin that was fighting its way to come out.

"You're not watching," he said, eyes still fixed on the television. He squeezed me shoulder.

I quickly looked to the TV, but the smile was on my face, and there was no way I could get rid of it. Not as long as he was holding onto me.

We drank the wine quickly and as the bottle became emptier, the familiar numbness began creeping into my arms. Some how I'd leaned into Jack, and was resting my head on his shoulder. He never said anything but there was a small smile across his lips.

"Would you like the last bit?" he murmured, raising the bottle and tipping it into my glass.

I grinned and drank the last of the wine. I leaned back, feeling the numbness spread to my eyes. Sometimes, there is nothing better than the feeling of absolute bliss alcohol gives you.

Jack took my wine glass, and placed it on the coffee table, before pulling me into his arms. The TV screen was off. I had no idea how long it had been since the movie ended, and I was having a hard time remembering if I'd actually watched it. No, I'm sure I did.

"I remember when that movie came out." Jack whispered. "The women then thought Errol Flynn was the epitome of lust."

I giggled, at the idea of Errol Flynn in his prime and then at Jack, because _The Adventures of Robin Hood_ came out in the 30's and there was no way he'd seen it in theaters. I looked over to him, into his deep blue eyes, and chuckled.

Jack grinned. I stopped laughing immediately.

"What's wrong?" he said, putting down his glass and turning to me.

"Your teeth."

Jack frowned. When he'd smiled, I glimpsed his canines and noticed they were unmistakably longer. And all in the same moment, I realized Jack probably had seen Robin Hood in theaters in 1938 because he wasn't human and this wasn't just some date with a normal guy.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It happens occasionally when I'm tipsy."

"Or hungry." I mumbled. But I knew he'd heard me.

"Yes, or that."

I tried pushing myself up from the couch, but I couldn't muster the strength. The wine didn't seem like such a good idea anymore.

"Don't get up."

"You should leave." I said.

"I don't want to."

Jack was at my side, trying to help me but I swatted him away. I'd forgotten so quickly why I shouldn't be around him. He was a sleezy womanizer, and probably a killer. I didn't have the heart to ask, but I had a feeling I knew what the answer would be.

"Does it bother you that much?" He was steadying me with his hands so I wouldn't tip over. If it weren't for his strength, I would have pushed against him, but I'd learned that would get me nowhere. "I thought, since you had figured out what I am, it wouldn't bother you."

"But I've never seen your teeth like that." I whispered.

"What can I do to make it better?"

I shook my head. I had no idea. I slowly reached up and touched his lips. Jack opened his mouth without question. I looked up to him nervously, and back to his mouth, where I could now see teeth.

"How do they get bigger?" I asked.

"They're like a muscle. If I don't flex, they're normal, just like yours. But if I need to use them I can make them extend."

"Like claws on a cat."

"Yes, similar to claws."

I touched one of his teeth slowly. They felt just like a normal tooth should, only abnormally longer. Jack reached up, took my hand and pulled it away. He looked down at me and sighed.

"Is that as big as they get?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. But I won't show you their true size."

"Would I be in trouble if I did?"

Jack smiled – his lips pressed together this time – and nodded. "If you ever saw that, yes, you'd probably be in danger."

I nodded and looked away. Jack lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Let's not think about that." He put his hand around my waist, lifted me up and spun my around.

"Then what should I think about?" I laughed. Teeth or no teeth, I was still bubbly with wine.

"About midnight strolls through central park," he half sang as he began leading me through a waltz. "About having wine in the fanciest restaurants, and going to the ballet."

"Visiting museums that are open late so you can see them?"

"And any art you like I'll buy and we'll hang it on the ceiling."

I laughed at the absurdness of it all. Jack scooped me into his arms and we fell back onto the couch, both laughing. He ran his fingers through my hair, and suddenly I felt extremely sleepy.

"Can I see you every night?" Jack whispered.

"Maybe," I said with a grin.

"Every other, then?"

"Ok. Every other night."

I closed my eyes as he brushed the hair from my face. I never knew how quickly I fell asleep or how I had gotten into my bed. But when I woke up the next morning, I was under the covers and a note was on my bedside table.

.

.

**A/N: Don't forget to look up Avila Naislin on Facebook for more info on Dead Declassified and all the characters. **


	9. Halloween

**A/N: I got a bit carried away and wrote a new chapter already. :D Enjoy. **

**.**

**.**

"King me."

Jack reached over and added a checker piece to one of mine. He shook his head and then moved one of his. I jumped it with one of my king pieces and looked up to him. He was frowning.

"It's your turn."

"I know."

"You ok?"

"You're winning."

I chuckled. "I've had more practice than you. I still don't understand how you've never played checkers before."

Jack shrugged. He moved a piece, allowing me to make a spectacular move that let me take four of his.

"I give up."

"Oh come on. It's not that bad."

"Andrea, I've only taken three of your pieces. You have five kings and I'm down to two regular ones. There's no chance I can win now."

"Yeah, you're right." I said with a grin. "Forfeit?"

"I'd forfeit when I had seven pieces."

I laughed and reached out to clear the board, and suddenly found Jack's hand on mine. I looked up to see him smiling at me. I quickly took my hand away and looked down nervously. This was the fourth night this week I'd found myself in Jack's company. And night after night, I willingly let him into my apartment. Each time he came over, he found a way to get closer than I liked. Whether it was watching a movie, doing a jigsaw puzzle, or star gazing (which wasn't really ideal in New York City) he was always too close.

"What would you like to do now?" he asked.

"I don't know." I mumbled. I could feel the heat in my cheeks growing.

Jack stood up and walked over to the music player. He switched it on to a radio station that was playing jazz, and came back to me. He extended a hand and waited.

"I don't really feel like dancing." I said.

"Don't be a sore winner." Jack said. He reached down and hoisted me up.

He placed a hand on my hip, and took my other hand softly as he began guiding me in a slow dance. I could smell his cologne so strongly, but it still didn't feel like enough. I wanted to be closer.

I looked up to see Jack just inches away from me, his gorgeous blue eyes staring down at me. He was leaning down slowly, his hand on my hip pulling me closer.

"Jack," I whispered.

"Yes?" he said, still leaning closer.

"I think I'd like to go to bed soon."

"Alright," he knelt his head down and kissed me on the cheek.

He stepped back and began heading to the door. He reached for the handle, but stopped when he began opening the door.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I was just thinking, maybe tomorrow you'd like to go see a movie with me? In a theater?"

I stared at Jack in disbelief. He always amazed me when he said such normal things like that. "I have plans tomorrow, actually."

Jack cocked an eyebrow quizzically, but didn't ask further. He nodded and began to leave, but I caught him by the shirt.

"It's my friend, Jody." I explained. "She wants to do something for Halloween, so I'm being dragged to a club for a costume contest."

Jack looked at me with a grin, and knelt down so we were just inches away. I closed my eyes and the unexpected closeness, and tried to get a hold of myself. But nothing was going to stop how quickly my heart was racing.

"Thank you for telling me." he whispered.

I opened my eyes, and had the sudden impulse to wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into a kiss.

"Goodnight." He said, and turned on his heel and walked out.

I stood in the doorway, my heart still beating a million miles an hour, and that feeling of wanting Jack shaking me.

.

.

I tugged on the costume uncomfortably as we walked towards the club. Jody was practically bouncing with excitement that her Three Musketeers trio worked out. I was decked out in the skimpiest costume I'd ever worn, 5-inch heels and an extremely padded bra. Jody insisted I looked great. I wanted a pair of jeans.

"This is going to be the best Halloween _ever!_" she squealed.

The club was one giant dance floor of moving bodies all dressed in different costumes, though pretty much every one was slutty. Angela made a b-line for the bar where she ordered six shots and handed Jody and me two each.

"To a night we won't remember!" She said with a grin.

Jody raised her shot glass and looked over to me. I raised mine, knowing full well I was going to wake up tomorrow with a hangover. Well, no point in fighting it anymore. Our glasses clinked and in one quick tip of the head we gulped down the shots.

"Excellent." Angela laughed. Jody was shaking her head and making a face.

"Bleck." I said with a grin. In a rush of warmth from the liquor I knew I was going to enjoy myself tonight. I leaned over the bar and order another round of shots for us, which we slammed down just as fast as the first two.

Jody began giggling and covering her face with her hands. I looked over to the dance floor, and all the pulsing bodies seemed like a blur of orange and green colors that I wanted to swim in. A grin stretched across my face, and next thing I knew I was stumbling towards the dance floor, hands linked with Jody and Angela.

I began bouncing and dancing, hands reaching toward the ceiling as the DJ played Skrillex and Deadmau5 as loud as the enormous speakers could go. Somehow another drink found its way to me, and I drank it like it was water. Angela snagged a shot girl and bought us Jell-O shots. We ate them with large grins. Jody was in a fit of giggles, but kept dancing even though she'd stop every few seconds with a burst of laughter. My costume didn't feel so ridiculous anymore, and I began wishing I was wearing less. I looked over to Jody, who winked, and suddenly I was laughing just as hard.

A pair of hands found their way to my hips and I could feel someone behind me. I looked to Jody for the universal is-the-guy-at-the-club-trying-to-dance-with-me-hot approval. She looked to the guy, and slyly nodded. Good enough for me.

I started dancing, letting this guy move in closer as some Lady Gaga song began playing. His hands pulled me closer to him, and I could tell this guy was a good dancer. He kept up with every sway and dip I did. I tried throwing him off by chancing up the rhythm but it didn't matter. It was like we had choreographed our dance the way we swayed together. He slowly began taking the lead, pressing his hands into my hips so I would move this way and that, and he would push against me. I could feel the unavoidable heat begin to rise in me the more we danced. His hands slowly moved from my hips to my stomach, and I moved closer to him. I tipped my head back so I could see him, but as I did his hands suddenly reached my chest and squeezed.

"Hey!" I yelled and spun around, ready to smack him across the face.

"Get out of here asshole!" Jody yelled from behind me. She made to slug him, but I held her back.

"No, Jody. It's ok." I said, an unavoidable smile spreading across my face. "It's a friend."

Jack was staring back at me, grinning behind a Phantom of the Opera mask. He winked. He held out a hand, and I took it happily, falling into his arms.

"I'm watching you." Jody said, but someone had asked her to dance, so she moved away.

I kept my eyes locked on Jack and he smiled back at me. He began swaying to the music again, but not in the same way. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and felt myself quickly giving into the liquor, and I was completely ok with it.

"I like your costume." I giggled, eyeing his black cloak and bowtie and noticing how authentic it seemed.

Jack grinned. "And I _really_ like yours."

He pushed me away to get a full view. I played along and twirled. Jack's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"You look… delicious."

He pulled me back into his arms, and began kissing my neck. I giggled, and wrapped my arms around him. We began dancing to the music again, but now that we were facing each other, some how our synchronism seemed more x-rated than before. He dipped me backwards, and began kissing my collarbone, and the top of my breasts. My breath was getting shorter, and the more he kissed me, the hotter I felt. One of his hands reached down and groped my bottom, lifting me up so I could wrap my legs around his waist.

"Hey, you two! Get a room!" Angela slugged Jack in the arm.

His head snapped up, and for a moment I was afraid he would do something inhuman, but he just laughed and set me back on my feet.

"Follow me," he whispered in my ear, then took my hand and began leading me from the dance floor.

I stumbled behind him, my head swimming with colors and noise. The only thing that kept me from falling over was the steadiness of Jack's hand holding mine. He pushed past the back door, and the cool October air hit me in full force. The back alley was emptier than the club, but there were other couples trying to find privacy like us. He led me to a darker corner and pushed me against the wall. He leaned down, and began kissing my neck again. I closed my eyes, and leaned against the wall, feeling those perfect lips touch me.

"You're killing me with this outfit." he whispered.

I opened my eyes to see Jack staring directly down my top hungrily. One of his hands clutched my waist as the other rested against the wall. He looked up to me, and grinned.

His teeth were extended.

"Jack," I sighed. "I should go back in."

"No, you don't." He said, leaning back down and kissing my neck. But this time I could feel his teeth barely scrapping against my skin.

"I can't do this." I said, pushing against Jack.

He ignored me, and continued kissing me. His hand around my waist pulled me closer.

"Jack, you're teeth," I whispered, eyeing the other couples close by. Would he try anything with so many other people around?

"Don't worry," he said, looking up. "I just want to take you home, and fuc - "

"ANDREA!" Jody yelled, bursting through the back door. "The costume contest is starting, we need you!"

She yanked me away from Jack, and dragged me back to the club. I looked back to Jack with wide eyes. He winked. Next thing I knew I was being shoved onto a stage next to Jody and Angela, a bright light on me as the crowd at the club cheered for the best costumes. The DJ got to us, and the crowd roared. I tried to smile, but my eyes were locked on a tall, handsome man watching from the back in a Phantom of the Opera costume.

"I still can't believe that bimbo in the Spiderman outfit won!" Jody grumbled as we left the club several hours later.

"It was a pretty elaborate costume." Angela said.

We were all stumbling up the street, trying to signal a taxi. Jody was holding our second place trophy, a pathetic five inch silver cup with a two engraved on the side.

"Yeah, well, we looked hot." Jody said. "Andrea practically had that guy drooling."

"Huh?" I said, snapping out of my thoughts. I had been miles away, thinking of Jack and what he'd said in the alley.

"That guy you knew!" Angela said. "He was _crazy_ hot! And he couldn't keep his hands off you."

"Yeah," I said with a grin. "He couldn't."

Angela caught a taxi, and we piled in. "So what's the plan, who lives closest?" said Angela.

"I do." I said.

"Alright, we'll crash at your place, but I'm going to go check on my cats and change," said Jody.

"I'll come with you." said Angela. "I'll need to borrow some clothes."

The taxi pulled up to my apartment building, and we all threw dollars at the driver until we thought we'd paid enough, and stumbled out of the car. Jody and Angela began walking towards her apartment that was two blocks away, as I fumbled with my keys.

I blundered up to my apartment, and practically fell in once I'd unlocked the door. Before I could set down my purse, Jack's lips were crashing down onto mine. I froze with shock, as he scooped me up and put me on the couch.

"What are you doing here?" I gasped as he pulled me onto him and began kissing my neck again.

"I wasn't done in the alley." he said through his kisses.

"Well, I was!" I snapped.

I pushed him away and stood up. He grabbed my hand but didn't try to force me back on the couch.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"How did you get into my apartment? You gave me your key!"

"I came in through the window."

"I live on the third floor!"

Jack stood up, and I stared at him in disbelief. I didn't care how unbelievably sexy he was, I was sick and tired of having him break into my home!

"Why are you so angry?" he said.

"I can't take you always being here when I'm not expecting it. You need to learn some boundaries! Normal people don't break in to other people's houses and then start kissing them without asking!"

"I thought you wouldn't care."

"Well I do! It was our first - " my voice caught in my throat and I looked down completely embarrassed. I was about to say, our first kiss, and it hit me how much it bothered me. In the back of my mind I was hoping it would be something more romantic, but how could I expect anything else from a man who'd been with ninety-three women. "That's not even the point! You need to leave."

"Why are you being like this? We had a good night."

"You can't do that and… coming in when you're not invited… I just wanted something special and you're such a typical man only wanting one thing – "

Jack pulled me into his arms and held me against him. I tried fighting it, but gave in and sank into his chest and immediately felt a rush of relief. I sighed deeply and looked up to him, and chuckled. He was still wearing that dumb mask. I reached up and pulled it off him.

"Better?" he asked.

I nodded. He smiled and cupped my face in his hand.

"What were you going to say when we were in the alley?" I asked.

Jack grinned and shook his head. "I shouldn't have said that. I got carried away."

"No, no. I want you to finish that thought."

"Nope. For another time." He smiled but I could still se the hunger in his eyes when he looked at me.

I tilted my head up, watching Jack try not to stare inappropriately again. Being so close to him was making my heart race, and now that we were silent all I could think of was the hunger in that kiss. How badly I wanted him to do that again, but after that stupid spat there was no way he'd try it again. He looked into my eyes, and in a split second we both knew we wanted the same thing. He started leaning forward, but paused.

"Andrea," he whispered.

"Hmm?"

"May I kiss you?"

I smiled and tilted my head up more. "Absolutely."

Jack leaned down the rest of the way and kissed me softly. It was a good thing he was holding onto me, because my knees felt so weak I might not have been able to stand without support. I kissed back, and felt his arms hold me tighter. He reached up and ran his fingers through my hair. I pushed back hungrily, feeling the rush of realization I was actually kissing Jack.

He responded by picking me up and falling onto the couch so I landed on top. Our kiss deepened, and suddenly we were so desperate to touch each other we were grasping at anything we could. I could feel his hands roaming my body, desperately trying to tear off my clothes. My hands were already half way finished unbuttoning his shirt. I could see his smooth skin, and my longing to touch him became unbearable. Jack had managed to undo the buttons on the bustier, and was trying to pull it off as he continued to kiss my neck.

I ran my hands through his hair, causing it to stand up in every direction. He pulled me into another long kiss as his cool fingers touched my bare back. A thrill of chills swept through me at the idea of what was about to happen. I pulled away and looked at Jack, whose eyes were so filled with lust he could hardly keep them steady. They kept roaming my body up and down as if he couldn't take in everything in front of him.

"Come here," he said, and pulled me back to him, our lips crashing together with hunger.

My fingers fumbled for the buttons on his shirt so I could finally get the damn thing off. Jack went back to the bustier, and was pulling at the straps to get it completely off. I undid the last button of his shirt and ravenously ran my hands up this chest.

"Andrea, we're here and we brought movies and – OH MY GOD!"

I snapped up to see Jody and Angela in the doorway, mouths wide open and staring at us. Jack jumped in surprise and sent me toppling off him onto the floor.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Jody laughed, half covering her eyes.

I scrambled to button up the bustier but it wasn't easy, so I held it against me.

"Oh, hey," I said, trying to sound casual, but failing miserably at it. "It's fine, Jack just came over to say hi."

As I said this, Jack stood up, slowly buttoning up his shirt. He nodded to Jody and Andrea with a smile. Angela looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow.

"We can come back…" said Jody.

"No! No, he was just leaving." I said, looking over to Jack, whose hair was still sticking up in every direction.

"Oh, right." he said sarcastically, with no attempt to pretend like that was true. "I was just out the door."

Jack leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, whispering, "Until next time." I tried to suppress shivers as he strolled out of the apartment, tucking his shirt in as he went. I looked back to Jody and Angela who both were grinning ear to ear.

"Um, _hello!_ What did we just walk in on?" laughed Jody.

"I want to know where you go to find friends like that." said Angela, obviously still imagining Jack when he was buttoning up his shirt.

I tried not to smile as I grabbed a shirt from my room and tugged it on. "I'm sorry, I totally forgot you were coming back."

"I'm not!" said Angela. "I thought he was fine at the club. Girl you struck gold!"

"Oh shut up." I laughed. "Put on a movie."

"Hell no. I want details!" said Angela, falling onto the couch and smelling a cushion. "Is he as smooth as he looks? I love his cologne."

I laughed and sat next to her. "What is wrong with you?"

"Angela, seriously, keep it in your pants." said Jody, as she put in a movie.

"Why should I?" replied Angela. "Andrea and hunky-man weren't. And you want to talk about in the pants, did you _see_ the bulge he had?"

Jody erupted in laughter and smacked Angela in the head with a pillow. I could feel my face getting hot, but I was laughing just as hard. How had I not noticed _that_?

"Ok, ok." said Jody, putting on a fake, serious face. "No more talk about that. It's time for _Pirates of the Caribbean_."

"And Orlando Bloom."

"Exactly."

We all turned to the TV, and gave a collective, "Mmmm," when he came on the screen.

.

.

**A/N: To all my lovely readers, thank you for all the wonderful reviews. They are truly appreciated. **


End file.
